Subungal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

Abstract

Malignant tumors of the hand are rare. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common tumor that can develop at the nail bed. However, its prevalence is extremely rare. We report a male patient with SCC in the middle finger and provide a review of related literature. A 70-year-old male patient presented with subungal exudate of the right middle finger for 2 years. The lesion was treated by the patient himself without any relief. He visited the other hospital and underwent removal of the affected fingernail followed by histopathological examination. An extended excision was performed to remove the lesion located in close proximity with the distal phalanx along with a portion of the phalangeal soft tissues. The tumor shows malignant squamous sheets and nests with invasive growth pattern and pleomorphism. At the 6-month postoperative follow-up, neither symptom relapse nor other complications were observed. Various types of skin cancers, such as SCCs and malignant melanomas, can develop in the hand. However, their incidence is extremely rare. In particular, subungal lesions, which may be mistaken as fungal nail infections, require histopathological examination if they respond only slowly to treatment.