[Subungueal exostosis of fingers in hereditary multiple exostosis. 3 cases]

Abstract

Introduction: The multiple exostosis syndrome is a rare disease transmitted by autosomal dominant inheritance. Bone growth projecting outward from the long bones is observed in multiple localizations during growth. Prognosis of this benign disease is worsened by the possibility of chondrosarcoma. We report three cases of subungueal exostoses observed in children revealing hereditary exostosis.

Case reports: Clinical examination evidenced progressive deformation of several fingers. In all three patients. There was subungueal tumefaction raising a fissured nail with longitudinal crests. In two cases there were also skeletal deformations. Radiograms showed multiple exostoses of the long bones in all three cases and in one a tumefaction of the scapula in addition to visualizing the subungueal exostoses. There was a family history of such manifestations in all cases.

Discussion: Subungueal exostosis is frequent in young adults, usually located in the large toe. These three observations were particularly interesting due to the subungueal localization during the first decade of life. Such localization are rare and usually concern several fingers.