Subungual schwannoma: a rare location

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Schwannoma is a benign tumor of neural tissue and usually develops in deeper soft tissue. Cutaneous involvement is uncommon, and a subungual location is extremely rare. In fact, it has not been previously reported. OBJECTIVE: To present a case of subungual schwannoma. METHOD: A 49-year-old man had a subungual tumor on his right thumb of 8 years duration. The lesion caused a mild stinging sensation in winter and grew slowly. The tumor was excised using a transungual approach. After closure, the wound was dressed with a trimmed original nail plate. RESULTS: The nail plate grew normally, and there was no recurrence 1 year postoperatively. CONCLUSION: We describe a case of schwannoma that developed in the subungual area of a thumb. Although schwannoma rarely develops in this area, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of subungual tumor.