Squamous cell carcinoma of the toenail bed: a case report

Reza Yaghoobi,Mahdi Saboktakin Rizi,Farzaneh Alamshahi,Nooshin Bagherani,Nader Paziar

doi:10.15761/god.1000154

Abstract

Subungual Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignancy affecting the nail bed. About 150 cases of subungual SCC have been reported in the literature. It usually involves the thumb, the index finger and only rarely, the toes. Subungual SCC runs an indolent course and may present with minimal symptoms. Diagnostic confusion emerges because many chronic lesions of the nail bed may be clinically similar to SCC. Although SCC of the nail bed is considered a low-grade malignancy, bone invasion and metastasis to the regional lymph nodes may occur. Herein, we reported a case of subungual toenail SCC with bone involvement and a 6-year delay between its appearance and diagnosis.

Highlights

Squamous- celled epithelioma of the nail bed or sulcus is a well-known but uncommon type of the neoplasm, example of which have been recorded by Sigel (1937), Bunnell (1944), and Willis (1948) [1]
The vast majority of nail bed conditions treated by clinicians are benign
Eighty-four percent of subungual Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) occurs in the fingers, the remaining in the toes [6]

Summary

Introduction

Squamous- celled epithelioma (squamous cell carcinoma) of the nail bed or sulcus is a well-known but uncommon type of the neoplasm, example of which have been recorded by Sigel (1937), Bunnell (1944), and Willis (1948) [1]. Some literature described its first reported cases by Velpeau in 1850 [2]. Up to 1948, some fifteen cases involving the hand have been recorded in the literature, mostly in men over the age of sixty years [1]. About 150 cases have been reported in the literature [2,3]. SCC of the nail bed is a rare disease, it is the most commonly observed malignant subungual tumor. It usually involves the thumb, the index finger and only rarely, the toes [3]. Fatal dissemination is only very occasionally reported [3]

Case presentation

Findings

Discussion