If the infection is continuous, the cause is often fungal and needs antifungal cream or paint to be treated.Risk factors include repeatedly washing hands and trauma to the cuticle such as may occur from repeated nail biting. or hangnails. In the context of bartending, it is known as "bar rot".Prosectors paronychia is a primary inoculation of tuberculosis of the skin and nails, named after its association with prosectors, who prepare specimens for dissection. Paronychia around the entire nail is sometimes referred to as "runaround paronychia".Painful paronychia in association with a scaly, erythematous, keratotic rash (papules and plaques) of the ears, nose, fingers, and toes may be indicative of acrokeratosis paraneoplastica, which is associated with squamous-cell carcinoma of the larynx.Paronychia can occur with diabetes, drug-induced immunosuppression, or systemic diseases such as pemphigus. Diagnosis
Types
Paronychia may be divided as occurring suddenly, acute, or gradually, chronic. Acute
Acute paronychia is an infection of the folds of tissue surrounding the nail of a finger or, less commonly, a toe, lasting less than six weeks. The infection generally starts in the paronychium at the side of the nail, with local redness, swelling, and pain. : 660  Acute paronychia is usually caused by direct or indirect trauma to the cuticle or nail fold, and may be from relatively minor events, such as dishwashing, an injury from a splinter or thorn, nail biting, biting or picking at a hangnail, finger sucking, an ingrown nail, or manicure procedures.
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Chronic
Chronic paronychia is an infection of the folds of tissue surrounding the nail of a finger or, less commonly, a toe, lasting more than six weeks. It is a nail disease prevalent in individuals whose hands or feet are subject to moist local environments, and is often due to contact dermatitis. : 660  In chronic paronychia, the cuticle separates from the nail plate, leaving the region between the proximal nail fold and the nail plate vulnerable to infection. : 343  It can be the result of dish washing, finger sucking, aggressively trimming the cuticles, or frequent contact with chemicals (mild alkalis, acids, etc.). Alternatively, paronychia may be divided as follows:
Candidal paronychia is an inflammation of the nail fold produced by C. albicans. : 310 
Pyogenic paronychia is an inflammation of the folds of skin surrounding the nail caused by bacteria. : 254  Generally, acute paronychia is pyogenic, as it is usually caused by a bacterial infection. Differential
Differential diagnosis of paronychia includes:

Cellulitis is a superficial infection and presents as erythema and swelling to the affected portion of the body with no area of fluctuance. Treatment is with oral antibiotics. Whitlow or felon is a subcutaneous infection of the digital pulp space. The area becomes warm, red, tense, and very painful due to the confinement of the infection, creating pressure in the individual compartments created by the septa of the finger pad. These require excision and drainage, usually with a longitudinal incision and blunt dissection to ensure adequate drainage. Herpetic whitlow is a viral infection of the distal finger caused by HSV.