Pediatric Ectopic Nail Formation following Fingertip Trauma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Summary: Post-traumatic ectopic nail is an uncommon entity that is occasionally observed after trauma to the fingertip and nail, resulting in aesthetic and functional morbidity. We report a case of post-traumatic ectopic nail in a 3-year-old girl following trauma to her index finger and subsequent surgical intervention to remove an inclusion cyst. The unusual clinical sequence is presented to highlight the etiology and treatment of this rare lesion.

Onychoheterotopia

“…Although the pathogenesis is unclear, it is hypothesized to occur due to the presence of ectopic germ cells, an underlying subclinical polydactyly, or traumatic inoculation of nail matrix cells [ 2 ].…”