Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed: is finger predominance another clue to etiology? A report of 5 cases.

Although squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is commonly found on sun-exposed skin, the occurrence of this malignancy in the nail bed is rare. We report 5 cases of SCC of the nail bed and suggest that the disproportionate number of neoplasms of this type on the second, third, and fourth fingers, combined with the known relationship of SCC and human papillomavirus (HPV), is evidence that most SCC of the nail bed result from contact with HPV. Moreover, we suggest that patients who present with new, verrucous lesions of the nail bed and have a history of cervical dysplasia, cervical carcinoma, or condyloma acuminata undergo diagnostic biopsy as opposed to traditional destructive therapy for a lesion presumed benign.