Paronychia and osteomyelitis - great toe

Case contributed by Chris O'Donnell
Diagnosis probable

Presentation

Chronic swelling and pain in right great toe, non-diabetic.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Male

Edema in the distal phalangeal bone marrow with reactive effusion in the DIP and entrapped subungual fluid.

Swelling and abnormal T2 signal involving the soft tissues of the medial great toe centered on the sulcus between the nail and adjacent skin with bone marrow edema and erosion of the lateral cortex of the terminal tuft.

Note, the loss of cortical (black) line medially associated with soft tissue swelling indicative of bone erosion (osteomyelitis).

Subtle erosion of the terminal tuft (arrow) consistent with osteomyelitis consistent with the MRI findings

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