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Surgical Matricectomy Versus Phenolization in the Treatment of Ingrown Toenails: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Chandana Shajil1, Rashmi Kumari2
1Department of Dermatology and STD, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, India.
Background:
Treatment of ingrown toenail includes various nonsurgical and surgical treatments. However, there is no consensus on the ideal first-choice treatment.
Objective:
To compare phenolization versus surgical matricectomy (SM) after lateral nail plate avulsion in terms of efficacy, recurrence rates, postoperative outcomes, and cosmesis.
Methods:
The authors enrolled 45 consenting patients and randomized them into 2 groups (Group 1 = phenolization and Group 2 = SM) using stratified block randomization and followed them up at 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months.
Results:
The median percentage improvement in pain visual analog scale (VAS) score was comparable between the 2 groups ( p = 0.793). The mean photo VAS showed significant improvement in Group 1 at 1 week ( p = 0.00) and 1 month ( p = 0.02) but not at 6 months ( p = 0.44). The median number of days for pain relief ( p = 0.169), for healing ( p = 0.192), and for resuming work ( p = 0.136) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The time required to regain normal morphology was significantly longer in Group 2 ( p = 0.006). None of the patients in either group presented with recurrence at 6 months and 1 year. The authors observed failure of treatment in 1 patient in Group 2.
Conclusion:
Both procedures were equally efficacious, had minimal complications, and showed no recurrence at 6 months and 1 year.
