Ingrown toenail

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Ingrown toenail

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Ingrown toenail

Definition:

An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of the nail grows into the skin of the toe. There may be pain, redness, and swelling around the nail.

Alternative Names:

Onychocryptosis; Unguis incarnatus

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

An ingrown toenail can result from curved toenails, poorly fitting shoes, toenails that are trimmed improperly, or a toe injury. The skin around the toenail may become red and infected. The great toe is usually affected, but any toenail can become ingrown.

The condition may become serious in people with diabetes.

References:

Information from your family doctor. Ingrown toenails. Am Fam Physician. 2004; 70(5): 927.

Nandedkar T. An update on disorders of the nails. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005; 52(5): 877-887.

DeLauro NM. Onychocryptosis.Clin Podiatr Med Surg. 2004; 21(4): 617-630.

Review Date: 4/30/2005
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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