Retronychia: clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment

Description

Retronychia is the term used for proximal ingrowth of the nail and was first described by De Berker and Rendall1 in 1999. It frequently affects women (~82%), and the great toes are the most common location.2 The most frequent trigger is (micro) trauma.3 With trauma the nail plate separates completely from the matrix, a new plate grows under the old plate, pushes it upwards and is buried into the ventral aspect of the proximal nail fold (PNF), causing inflammation. This condition is rarely diagnosed and in 70% of the cases patients have been inadequately treated with oral antibiotics and antifungals.4

We report the case of a 14-year-old girl who was referred to our outpatient clinic with oedema, erythema and pain of the proximal nail fold of the right hallux (figure 1A). This condition had been present for...

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