- CDC News
- Adult Immunization
- Hepatology
- Rare Disorders
- Pediatric Immunization
- Weight Management
- Screening
- Psychiatry
- Allergy
- Women's Health
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
- Kidney Disease
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology
- Pain Management
- Gastroenterology
- Geriatrics
- Infectious Disease
- Orthopedics
- Obesity Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Technology
- Oncology
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Pulmonology
Paronychia and Lymphangitis
Exquisite pain of 3-days' duration in his right index finger sent a 19-year-old man for medical consultation. He recalled that a thorn had become embedded in the finger while gardening 1 week earlier.
Exquisite pain of 3-days' duration in his right index finger sent a 19-year-old man for medical consultation. He recalled that a thorn had become embedded in the finger while gardening 1 week earlier.
The nail fold of the finger was red, hot, swollen, and tender. A foreign object was clearly visible beneath the proximal edge of the fingernail. A tender, linear, red streak extended up the patient's right forearm. Paronychia and lymphangitis were diagnosed.
A 13-mm thorn was removed from the affected finger. Approximately 2 mL of pus was drained through an incision in the nail fold. Culture of the fluid showed heavy growth of group A streptococci.
The patient was treated with a 10-day course of cloxacillin; his recovery was uneventful.
