Phenol cauterization in the management of ingrowing toenails

Phenol cauterization has been carried out on 150 toes in 121 patients with an ingrowing toenail. There was no significant morbidity and the procedure was tolerated well by all patients. Overall recurrence rate was found to be 4 per cent after nine months. This figure compares favourably with surgical ablation techniques and when combined with improved patient tolerance indicates that phenol cauterisation may be the ablation procedure of choice in the treatment of an ingrowing toenail.