Paronychia is best described as inflammation around the skin adjacent to which structure?

Paronychia is best described as inflammation around the skin adjacent to which structure?

• A. The Base of the Nail
• B. The Nail Plate
• C. The Fingertip Pad
• D. The Cuticle

Answer: (A)

Paronychia refers to inflammation of the soft tissue around the nail, most commonly at the nail folds near the base where the nail emerges. This is the skin adjacent to the proximal part of the nail, where the base and sides of the nail are bounded by folds. The nail plate itself is the hard surface that sits on the nail bed, so inflammation isn’t described as surrounding it. The fingertip pad is the fleshy area at the very tip of the finger and isn’t the site of paronychia. The cuticle is the skin at the very edge of the nail, but paronychia specifically involves the surrounding nail folds around the base, making the base of the nail the best descriptor.

Paronychia refers to inflammation of the soft tissue around the nail, most commonly at the nail folds near the base where the nail emerges. This is the skin adjacent to the proximal part of the nail, where the base and sides of the nail are bounded by folds. The nail plate itself is the hard surface that sits on the nail bed, so inflammation isn’t described as surrounding it. The fingertip pad is the fleshy area at the very tip of the finger and isn’t the site of paronychia. The cuticle is the skin at the very edge of the nail, but paronychia specifically involves the surrounding nail folds around the base, making the base of the nail the best descriptor.