periungual

Periungual is a medical term used to describe structures or lesions located around a nail. In anatomy, the periungual region denotes the nail unit surrounding the nail plate, including the proximal and lateral nail folds, the cuticle, and adjacent skin. The area is richly innervated and subject to trauma and infection, and changes here can reflect dermatologic or systemic conditions.

The periungual area includes the proximal nail fold, lateral nail folds, and surrounding skin. It can be involved in a variety of inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic processes. Clinically, periungual changes may be signs of broader skin disease as well as localized conditions affecting the nail apparatus.

Common periungual conditions include paronychia, an infection of the nail folds (acute or chronic); periungual dermatitis, an inflammatory or eczema-like involvement of the nail folds; and periungual warts caused by human papillomavirus that grow around the nail apparatus. Pyogenic granuloma may appear as a friable vascular lesion at the periungual region, often after trauma. Psoriasis and other dermatoses can also produce periungual changes such as erythema, scaling, or nail plate irregularities near the folds.

Diagnosis relies on clinical examination and history; in uncertain cases, culture, biopsy, or imaging may be used to exclude infections or neoplasia. Treatment targets the underlying condition and may include hygiene measures, topical corticosteroids for dermatitis, antifungals or antibiotics for infection, and lesion-specific therapies for warts, granulomas, or psoriasis. Periungual lesions can affect nail growth and function if persistent.