Metastases can occasionally appear below a finger or toe nail. The correct diagnosis may not be made until a biopsy is taken.
Clinical features:
(1) The patient presents with a lesion under a finger or toe nail.
(2) The lesion is usually an erythematous swelling or nodule. It is often painful.
(3) Some patients have a previous history of a primary carcinoma but some do not.
(4) Some patients have a history of recent trauma to the digit.
(5) The prognosis tends to be poor
Common primary sites:
(1) lung
(2) kidney
(3) breast
(4) other genitourinary sites
Differential diagnosis:
(1) acute infection
(2) primary tumor (subungual melanoma, squamous cell, other)
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Specialty: Hematology Oncology, Surgery, general
ICD-10: ,
