A simple and efficient surgical technique for subungual exostosis

Subungual exostosis is a benign osteochondral tumor usually involving the d istal phalanx of the great toe. The lesion most frequently occurs in the se cond and third decades of life and is rare before the age of 10 years. Ther e are few reports of its occurrence in children, and most of them advocate partial or complete nail excision to treat this lesion successfully. We rep ort our experience with six children and adolescents using a simple surgica l technique that involves approaching the exostosis under the nail to prese rve nail coverage. Rapid recovery and excellent cosmetic appearance were ac hieved immediately after the operation.