felon

felon /fel·on/ (fel´on) a purulent infection involving the pulp of the distal phalanx of a finger.

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fel·on (fln)

n.

A purulent infection or abscess involving the bulbous distal end of a finger. Also called whitlow.

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felon

[fel′ən]

Etymology: L, fel, venom

a suppurative abscess on the distal phalanx of a finger.

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felon

Paronychia, whitlow, run-around A purulent infection in the tight fascial plane adjacent to the terminal intraphalangeal joint of the fingers or toes, due to an open wound; as the inflammatory mass expands within the confined space, the vascular supply is compromised, predisposing the site to osteomyelitis, pulp necrosis and sloughing of tissue; the pain is very intense and seemingly disproportionate with the scant amount of swelling and erythema clinically evident Treatment Drainage by incision directly over the site of maximum swelling; the term has also been applied to a localized painful herpetic skin infection 'seeded' in an open abrasion by contact exposure