Highlights & Basics
- Acute paronychia is an acute infection of the nail folds and periungual tissues, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus.
- Treatment of acute paronychia includes incision and drainage of any purulent fluid, soaks, and topical and/or oral antibacterials.
- Chronic paronychia is a chronic irritant dermatitis of the periungual tissues resulting from barrier damage to the protective nail tissues, including the cuticle and the proximal and lateral nail folds.
- Water and irritant avoidance is the hallmark of treatment of chronic paronychia.
Quick Reference
History & Exam
Key Factors
Other Factors
Diagnostics Tests
Treatment Options
Definition
Epidemiology
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Citations
Daniel CR 3rd. Paronychia. Dermatol Clin. 1985 Jul;3(3):461-4.[Abstract]
Leggit JC. Acute and chronic paronychia. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Jul 1;96(1):44-51.[Abstract][Full Text]
Relhan V, Goel K, Bansal S, et al. Management of chronic paronychia. Indian J Dermatol. 2014 Jan;59(1):15-20.[Abstract][Full Text]
Shafritz AB, Coppage JM. Acute and chronic paronychia of the hand. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014 Mar;22(3):165-74.[Abstract]
1. Daniel CR 3rd. Paronychia. Dermatol Clin. 1985 Jul;3(3):461-4.[Abstract]
2. Daniel CR 3rd. Simple chronic paronychia. In: Scher RK, Daniel CR 3rd, eds. Nails: diagnosis, therapy, surgery. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2005:99-103.
3. Leggit JC. Acute and chronic paronychia. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Jul 1;96(1):44-51.[Abstract][Full Text]
4. Gerard E, Prevezas C, Doutre MS, et al. Risk factors, clinical variants and therapeutic outcome of retronychia: a retrospective study of 18 patients. Eur J Dermatol. 2016 Aug 1;26(4):377-81. [Abstract]
5. de Berker DA, Richert B, Duhard E, et al. Retronychia: proximal ingrowing of the nail plate. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Jun;58(6):978-83. [Abstract][Full Text]
6. Capriotti K, Capriotti JA. Chemotherapy-associated paronychia treated with a dilute povidone-iodine/dimethylsulfoxide preparation. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015 Sep 21;8:489-91.[Abstract][Full Text]
7. Goto H, Yoshikawa S, Mori K, et al. Effective treatments for paronychia caused by oncology pharmacotherapy. J Dermatol. 2016 Jun;43(6):670-3.[Abstract]
8. Relhan V, Goel K, Bansal S, et al. Management of chronic paronychia. Indian J Dermatol. 2014 Jan;59(1):15-20.[Abstract][Full Text]
9. Ventura F, Correia O, Duarte AF, et al. Retronychia - clinical and pathophysiological aspects. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016 Jan;30(1):16-9.[Abstract]
10. Wu IB, Schwartz RA. Herpetic whitlow. Cutis. 2007 Mar;79(3):193-6.[Abstract]
11. Shafritz AB, Coppage JM. Acute and chronic paronychia of the hand. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014 Mar;22(3):165-74.[Abstract]
12. Iorizzo M, Pasch MC. Bacterial and viral infections of the nail unit. Dermatol Clin. 2021 Apr;39(2):245-53.[Abstract]
13. Ferreira Vieira d'Almeida L, Papaiordanou F, Araújo Machado E, et al. Chronic paronychia treatment: square flap technique. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016 Aug;75(2):398-403.[Abstract]
14. Daniel CR 3rd, Daniel MP, Daniel J, et al. Managing simple chronic paronychia and onycholysis with ciclopirox 0.77% and an irritant-avoidance regimen. Cutis. 2004 Jan;73(1):81-5.[Abstract]
15. Daniel CR 3rd, Daniel MP, Daniel CM, et al. Chronic paronychia and onycholysis: a thirteen-year experience. Cutis. 1996 Dec;58(6):397-401.[Abstract]
16. Primary Care Dermatology Society. Paronychia. May 2024 [internet publication].[Full Text]
17. Grover C, Bansal S, Nanda S, et al. En bloc excision of proximal nail fold for treatment of chronic paronychia. Dermatol Surg. 2006 Mar;32(3):393-8;discussion 398-9.[Abstract]
18. Rigopoulos D, Gregoriou S, Belyayeva E, et al. Efficacy and safety of tacrolimus ointment 0.1% vs. betamethasone 17-valerate 0.1% in the treatment of chronic paronychia: an unblinded randomized study. Br J Dermatol. 2009 Apr;160(4):858-60.[Abstract][Full Text]
19. Pabari A, Iyer S, Khoo CT. Swiss roll technique for treatment of paronychia. Tech Hand Up Extrem Surg. 2011 Jun;15(2):75-7.[Abstract]
