Felon
An infection of the fat pad of the finger is a particularly heinous entity, aptly termed a felon - James R. Roberts MD
HWN Suggests
Fingertip Problems: Felons
While a paronychia can be handled in your sleep, the cognition and skill required to successfully navigate the waters of an infected pulp space of the finger can be daunting. Even sagacious EPs will eschew involvement in such cases because of the high rate of complications, slow healing, copious follow-up conundrums, and significant morbidity when full function of the thumb is compromised. Of course, a felon can affect any fat pad, but the thumb appears to have a special predilection to host this process.
Articles of Interest
Felon Incision and Drainage
A felon is a subcutaneous infection or abscess in the pulp space on the volar surface of the distal phalanx. It is usually caused by penetrating trauma, an abrasion, spread from adjacent tissues (e.g., eponychium, osteomyelitis, or paronychia), or a minor cut with invasion of bacteria.
Resources
StatPearls
A felon is an infection that occurs within the closed-space compartments of the fingertip pulp. The swelling leads to intense throbbing pain. The surrounding tissues are at risk for ischemia if the blood flow is compromised by compression from edema and pus formation. Treatment involves incision and drainage of the infected pulp space and oral antibiotics.
