An ingrown nail, also known as onychocryptosis from Greek: ὄνυξ (onyx) nail and κρυπτός (kryptos) hidden, is a common form of nail disease. It is an often painful condition in which the nail grows so that it cuts into one or both sides of the paronychium or nail bed. While ingrown nails can occur in the nails of both the hands and the feet, they occur most commonly with the toenails (as opposed to fingernails), and for the most part are only problematic and painful on the big toe. A common conception is that the nail enters into the paronychium, but an "ingrown toenail" can simply be overgrown toe skin. The condition starts first from a microbial inflammation of the paronychium, and then a granuloma, which results in a nail buried inside of the granuloma. A true ingrown toenail is caused by actual penetration of flesh by a sliver of toenail. Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of an ingrown nail include pain along the margins of the nail (caused by hypergranulation that occurs around the aforementioned margins), worsening of pain when wearing tight footwear, and sensitivity to pressure of any kind, even the weight of bedsheets. Bumping of an affected toe can produce sharp and even excruciating pain as the tissue is punctured further by the nail. By the very nature of the condition, ingrown nails become easily infected unless special care is taken early to treat the condition by keeping the area clean.
Radiation proctitis or radiation proctopathy is condition characterized by damage to the rectum after exposure to x-rays or other ionizing radiation as a part of radiation therapy. Radiation proctopathy may occur as acute inflammation called "acute radiation proctitis" (and the related radiation colitis) or with chronic changes characterized by radiation associated vascular ectasiae (RAVE) and chronic radiation proctopathy. Radiation proctitis most commonly occurs after pelvic radiation treatment for cancers such as cervical cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and rectal cancer. RAVE and chronic radiation proctopathy involves the lower intestine, primarily the sigmoid colon and the rectum, and was previously called chronic radiation proctitis, pelvic radiation disease and radiation enteropathy. Signs and symptoms
Acute radiation proctopathy often causes pelvic pain, diarrhea, urgency, and the urge to defecate despite having an empty colon (tenesmus). Hematochezia and fecal incontinence may occur, but are less common. Chronic radiation damage to the rectum (>3 months) may cause rectal bleeding, incontinence, or a change in bowel habits secondary. Severe cases may lead to with strictures or fistulae formation. Chronic radiation proctopathy can present at a median time of 8-12 months following radiation therapy. Histopathology
Acute radiation proctopathy occurs due to direct damage of the lining (epithelium) of the colon. Rectal biopsies of acute radiation proctopathy show superficial depletion of epithelial cells and acute inflammatory cells located in the lamina propria. By contrast, rectal biopsies of RAVE and chronic radiation proctopathy demonstrates ischemic endarteritis of the submucosal arterioles, submucosal fibrosis, and neovascularization.