Abstract
Ingrown nails are relatively common, and tight-fitting shoes, cutting a nail to the quick, trauma etc. have been considered as probable causes, but the true factor is unknown. We studied 20 patients with ingrown nails by thermography. In supine and standing positions, the skin temperature in a specific region of the foot and leg was measured, and a longitudinal thermal gradient (LTG) was plotted. The difference between the highest temperature and the lowest temperature, and the skin temperatures varying with the change of position were compared statistically between healthy cotrol group and ingrown nails group, and the following results were obtained.
1) Healthy control group
The average LTG presented a specific pattern, and the skin temperature decreased slightly when the position was changed from supine to standing, and a moderate S-curve was shown.
2) Ingrown nails group
The foot temperature was low, and LTGs are steep in both the supine and standing positions, and a shadow defect type of thermogram was shown.
This group members had often cold extremities. This suggests that cold extremities may play some role in ingrown nails.
