[Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed]

A 85-year-old woman presented clinically with paronychia. Treatment for this was uneffective, however. Finally, the diagnosis was Bowen's disease of the nail bed with underlying invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Treatment consisted of a subcapital amputation through the middle phalanx. Subungual tumors often appear to be a diagnostic problem because of their benign presentation. Every longstanding nail bed disease that does not respond to therapy needs to be biopted.