title: Conservative outpatient management of ingrowing toenails.
abstract: Twenty-five patients with ingrowing toenails were treated conservatively by inserting cotton wool under the ingrowing nail edge. Seventy-nine percent were relieved of their symptoms after follow up for a mean of 23.7 weeks. Thirty-six percent had a history of previous surgery to the nail, 75% of whom had a good or excellent result. Although conservative management was first described in the eighteenth century and has been reported sporadically since, only a few doctors treat their patients in this way. There is, however, a distinct place for this highly effective, low cost method as the initial treatment of these patients without the need for hospital referral.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D003368:Gossypium; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009263:Nails, Ingrown / Q000628:therapy*