Özal Özcan1, Hakan Boya1, Şükrü Araç2, Reha Tandoğan3

1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medicine Faculty of Başkent University, Zübeyde Hanım Training and Research Center
2Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medicine Faculty of Dokuz Eylül University
3Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medicine Faculty of Başkent University

Keywords: Osteochondroma/pathology/surgery; nail diseases/ pathology/surgery; toes/pathology.

Abstract

Subungual osteochondroma is a benign osteochondral tumor usually involving the distal phalanx of the big toe. The exact diagnosis is challenging because many cases are initially misdiagnosed. An 18-year-old woman presented with a deformed nail of a six-month history in her right big toe. She had previous treatments for verruca vulgaris and pyogenic granuloma at two centers, respectively. Radiographic examination showed a pedunculated bony growth on the dorsum of the distal phalanx. Under digital nerve block, the lesion was removed from the distal phalanx by osteotomy. Histopathologic diagnosis was osteochondroma. Her complaints disappeared and no recurrence was observed within a follow-up of six months.