Whitlow
Top Contributors - Kehinde Fatola, Joao Costa, Temitope Olowoyeye and Shaimaa Eldib
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Whitlow is a very painful and infectious viral disease of the thumb and fingertips. Rarely, it infects the toes and nail cuticle. It is a self-limiting disease and it is of two types - Herpetic Whitlow and Melanotic Whitlow. Herpetic whitlow is more prevalent of the two. It is a disease of the hand.
Mechanism of Injury / Pathological Process[edit | edit source]
Herpetic whitlow is caused by the Herpetic Simplex Virus (HSV). HSV are of two types - Type 1 and type 2. They are both known to cause whitlow. Herpetic whitlow is caused when a wounded and exposed skin comes in contact with body fluids contaminated with HSV. It may also be caused by bacterial fingertip infection.
Risk factors include;
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection
- Nail biting habit
- Wounded finger with exposed skin surface
- Career in health care profession
Clinical Presentation[edit | edit source]
The finger may present with;
- Tingling
- Itchy feeling
- Burning sensation
- Blisters
- Redness, warmth or swelling
Diagnostic Procedures[edit | edit source]
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Outcome Measures[edit | edit source]
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Management / Interventions[edit | edit source]
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Differential Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
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Resources[edit | edit source]
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