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Subungual exostosis

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Through Bone and Nail (anatomy)

There is an association with trauma and infection. Diagnosis involves medical imaging to exclude other similar conditions, particularly osteochondroma. X-ray appearance may reveal a bony protuberance attached to the top or side surface of a toe bone.

Treatment is by surgical excision and is effective.

More than half are under the age of 18 years and males are affected equally to females. Combined with bizarre parosteal osteochondromatous proliferation, they comprise <5% of cartilage tumors.

Signs and symptoms

They tend to be painful due to the pressure applied to the nail bed and plate. They can involve destruction of the nail bed. These lesions are not true osteochondromas, rather it is a reactive cartilage metaplasia. The reason it occurs on the dorsal aspect is because the periosteum is loose dorsally but very tightly adherent volarly.

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