Chronic erosion of a digit caused by a ring. Case report

A 36-year-old woman had worn a small ring all the time since she was 5 years old. The ring caused chronic erosion through skin, extensor tendon, and most of the bone of the fourth digit of the right hand. The ring caused an infection and was removed; two years later the eroded bone had healed but she had a persistent extension contracture of the proximal interphalangeal joint.