Foot problems in Turner's syndrome

In a randomized, prospective study, data were collected on 23 girls with Turner's syndrome (TS) and an age- and sex-matched control group of 47 girls in order to document foot problems and to establish their cause. History revealed that 6 (26%) girls with TS had problems with ingrowing toenails compared with none of the control subjects. Compared with the control subjects, girls with TS showed a significantly increased incidence of short, broad feet; hyperextension of the great toes at the interphalangeal joint; toe nail involution; inflammation of the periungual tissues; and intermittent lymphedema. These features in combination with excessive subtalar joint pronation predispose to an increased risk of ingrowing toenails. We conclude that foot care problems are common in TS because of a number of predisposing factors and that foot examination should be part of routine surveillance.