Author: Himanshu Gul Mirani / Editor: Yasmin Sultan / Reviewer: Ashwin Shanmugam / Codes: / Published: 26/11/2022
A 49-year-old male attends the Emergency Department (ED) minors with a gradually worsening swollen left ring finger over the last 3 days.
He had a history of biting his nails and had noticed swelling around the nail of the left ring finger 3 days ago with a purulent collection building up around the side of the nail. Over the next 2 days progressive erythema developed, spreading to the entire finger, then pain around the knuckles of the little and ring finger.
He has no past medical history and is not taking any medications.
On examination his ring finger is diffusely swollen finger and erythematous, held in flexion at the IP and MCP joints, with pain on active and passive movement at these joints.
There was obvious pus around the nail.
