Onycholysis is俗称“冻甲”,a type of paronychia. It refers to the inflammation of the tissue around the nail, including the lateral nail grooves and the proximal nail grooves at the base, with general symptoms of redness, swelling, and pain, and in severe cases, there may be suppurative phenomena.
Onycholysis refers to the suppurative infection of the soft tissue around the nail (toe) plate, which is caused by bacteria infiltrating the skin through minor skin damage and growing and multiplying under the skin. In the fingers, it is often caused by injuries such as piercing, stripping splinters, or trimming nails too deeply. In the toes, it is often caused by ingrown toenails or tight shoes, mostly occurring in the big toe. At the beginning of onycholysis, there is mild pain and swelling on one side of the nail, which then worsens and suppurates, with pus spreading to the other side or under the nail, forming an abscess under the nail. Yellowish pus can be seen under the nail, causing the nail to separate from the nail bed. On the side of the ingrown toenail, there is often chronic granulation tissue hyperplasia, causing the wound to heal slowly.
Onycholysis is a suppurative infection at the junction of the nail plate and the skin crease on both sides of the nail, which is one of the common finger (toe) infectious diseases in clinical practice. The causative bacteria are Staphylococcus aureus on the skin surface. It can occur after various minor injuries, and the infection can be controlled with early local anti-inflammatory treatment. After the abscess forms, it must be treated by incision.