J Korean Soc Plast Reconstr Surg.  2009 Jan;36(1):101-104.

Subungual Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Left Fifth Toe: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Busan, Korea. smchung@ ns.kosinmed.or.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE
Subungual squamous cell carcinoma is a very rare malignant tumor of the digitus especially in toe making it very difficult to differentiate from tinea unguium, verruca vulgaris, eczema, pyogenic granuloma, and malignant melanoma due to their clinical similarities. Therefore this article reports on subungual squamous cell carcinoma of left 5th toe.
METHODS
A patient visited at our hospital due to pain and incurable inflammation on left 5th toe with no improvement for four months. Despite of antibiotics and dressing for a week, treatment was ineffective. After excisional biopsy, he was diagnosed with subungual squamous cell carcinoma. And ray amputation and prophylactic inguinal lymph node dissection was done.
RESULTS
The biopsy was showed irregular cells made up of anaplastic and squamous cells in the dermis and epidermis. And the inguinal lymph node showed no metastasis. The patient had been treated without significant complications or recurrence for a year.
CONCLUSION
This article emphasizes the need of diagnostic biopsy on the subungual lesions that have resistance to the conventional treatments. And if that is subungual squamous cell carcinoma, complete resection of the lesion and prophylactic inguinal lymph node dissection is essential.

Keyword

Subungual squamous cell carcinoma; Tumor of toe

MeSH Terms

Amputation
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Bandages
Biopsy
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Dermis
Eczema
Epidermis
Granuloma, Pyogenic
Humans
Inflammation
Lymph Node Excision
Lymph Nodes
Melanoma
Neoplasm Metastasis
Onychomycosis
Recurrence
Toes
Warts
Anti-Bacterial Agents
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