Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed: Three case reports

TC Wong, FK Ip, WC Wu
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong

Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed is rare, and the disease is often misdiagnosed as a benign condition. Digital amputation is often performed because of the delay in diagnosis and the involvement of the distal phalanx. Between March 1999 and March 2002, 3 patients presented to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, with squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed. Two of the patients underwent a digit-salvaging procedure—namely, wide local excision and flap coverage—and their functional outcome was satisfactory. The remaining patient received partial amputation of the thumb without significant functional loss. A high degree of suspicion is thus needed to detect squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed; a biopsy of chronic recurrent nail bed lesions should be performed.
 
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery2004;12(2):248-252
download article in PDF format
view this abstract on MedLine

get Adobe Acrobat Reader

Last update: 25 December 2004