title: Ingrowing toenails: improving treatment.
abstract: Sixty-six patients with ingrowing toenails were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups and followed up for 16 to 30 months after surgery. In group A 39 nail edges in 32 patients were treated by excision of the nail edge and chemical ablation of germinal matrix edge with 70% aqueous phenol. There were 34 patients in group B, in whom 46 nail edges and germinal matrix edges were surgically excised. In group A recurring symptoms developed in four (10%) nail edges, necessitating further surgery, and asymptomatic spicules developed in seven (18%) nail edges. Two (4%) nails in group B required reoperation and spicules developed in 10 (22%). Both procedures were performed as outpatient surgery, relieved pain and infection, and were acceptable to patients. At an average 2-year follow-up, both procedures yielded comparable results that were superior to those of simple avulsion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Leahy
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Timon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stephens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009262:Nails / Q000473:pathology; D009263:Nails, Ingrown / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D019800:Phenol; D010636:Phenols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011897:Random Allocation; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation
chemical_list: D010636:Phenols; D019800:Phenol