The diagnostic challenge of subungual squamous cell carcinoma: a case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32385/rpmgf.v40i6.14034Keywords:
Subungual squamous cell carcinoma, Subungual carcinoma, Nails, Case reportAbstract
Subungual squamous cell carcinoma is considered the most common type of subungual carcinoma. Its diagnosis can be challenging, given its nonspecific clinical presentation and similarities to other entities, such as onychomycosis, verruca vulgaris, or nail dystrophy. This is a 51-year-old woman who had a slow-growing nail lesion for 12 years, initially described as a wart, and later as onychomycosis. This lesion resulted in onycholysis, revealing a nail bed with erythematous-winey coloration and friable, that has remained after several cycles of antifungal treatment, leading to referral to dermatology. A biopsy of the lesion showed a squamous cell carcinoma in situ, leading to radical excision, with amputation at the level of the second phalanx, without bone invasion. Since the prognosis of this entity is dependent on a timely diagnosis, biopsy should always be considered in the case of chronic nail lesions that are refractory to conventional treatment.
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