Achieving hemostasis after nail biopsy using absorbable gelatin sponge saturated in aluminum chloride.

摘要

Nail biopsy is a useful technique for diagnosing nail conditions that cannot be confirmed according to history or clinical appearance alone.1 Punch nail biopsies in particular are frequently used to diagnose inflammatory or neoplastic conditions.2 After nail biopsy, achieving postoperative hemostasis is crucial and can be challenging because of the rich vascular supply of the nail bed. Electrocoagu-lation should be avoided because of the risk of permanent nail dystrophy from nail tissue scarring.3 Prior methods of controlling postbiopsy nail bleeding include direct application of pressure with bismuth tribromophenate-impregnated gauze, 35% aluminum chloride in 50% isopropyl alcohol, or oxidized cellulose.4 We present a method to achieve more rapid hemostasis after performing punch biopsy of the nail using an absorbable gelatin sponge saturated in aluminum chloride.