The cuticle, or eponychium, is the thin band of skin at the base of the nail where the proximal nail fold meets the nail plate. It grows onto the surface of the nail and seals the gap between the fold and the plate. This seal keeps water, irritants and microbes away from the nail matrix.
| Location | At the base of the nail, on the free edge of the proximal nail fold |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Dorsal branches of the proper palmar digital nerves (median and ulnar nerves) |
| Blood Supply | Dorsal branches of the proper palmar digital arteries; Proper palmar digital arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Seals the space between the proximal nail fold and the nail plate, protecting the nail matrix from infection.
Cutting or pushing back the cuticle breaks the seal and is a common cause of infection around the nail (paronychia). Chronic paronychia is common in people whose hands are often wet, such as cleaners and bartenders. Enlarged, ragged capillaries in the nail fold near the cuticle can be a sign of connective tissue diseases like scleroderma and lupus.
A painful bacterial infection of the nail fold, often after damage to the cuticle, sometimes forming pus.
Long-standing inflammation of the nail fold with loss of the cuticle, common with frequent wet work.
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