Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: A 35-year-old man presented with a hard, curved, nail-like projection arising adjacent to the right ring-finger nail for 1 year.e lesion was asymptomatic.He reported a history of trauma to the same finger 2 years earlier.Examination revealed a separate, well-defined, translucent keratin plate distal to the proximal nail fold, distinct from the main nail [Figure 1].Dermoscopy was performed using contact polarized (10x) mode with a liquid interface, which demonstrated parallel longitudinal striations with a smooth, shiny surface, and absence of vascular or hemorrhagic structures, consistent with an accessory (ectopic) nail [Figure 2].e patient was counseled regarding the benign nature of the lesion.Surgical excision was advised; however, he opted for conservative management as the lesion was asymptomatic.Ectopic nail (onychoheterotopia) is a rare entity, with fewer than 100 cases reported in the literature.[1] It may be congenital or acquired following traumatic implantation of nail matrix cells.Surgical excision of the ectopic matrix is the definitive treatment.[2] Recognition of this benign condition prevents misdiagnosis as onychomatricoma or cutaneous horn.
Institution: Armed Forces Medical College
Language: English
Topic: Nail Diseases and Treatments
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7140800986