Treatment of nail bed defects with hard palate mucosal grafts.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Nail bed defects produce a nail plate dystrophy that is permanent and presents important cosmetic problems. To correct the defect, we used a hard palate mucosal graft. This is a procedure with encouraging outcomes for nail bed scars.

OBJECTIVE:

To show our initial experience with the hard palate mucosal graft technique for correcting nail dystrophy or permanent onycholysis secondary to a nail bed scar.

METHODS:

This was a prospective, longitudinal, descriptive, observational study. We included five patients with a traumatic nail bed scar and one patient with congenital dystrophy. Seven nails were treated using a hard palate mucosal graft.

RESULTS:

All repaired nails had a good outcome, with excellent growth and improvement in nail dystrophy. The patients had surgical recovery in 2 weeks and tolerable pain.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is a relatively easy procedure for experienced surgeons to correct nail dystrophy secondary to a nail bed scar, with good to excellent results.

• Authors: Silvia Fernández-Mejía, Judith Domínguez-Cherit, Patricia Pichardo-Velázquez, Sergio González-Olvera
• Journal: Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery (J Cutan Med Surg) Vol. 10 Issue 2 Pg. 69-72 ( 2006) ISSN: 1203-4754 [Print] United States
• PMID: 17241577 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Cicatrix (surgery)
• Female
• Graft Survival
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Middle Aged
• Mouth Mucosa (transplantation)
• Nail Diseases (surgery)
• Palate, Hard (transplantation)
• Prospective Studies
• Treatment Outcome