Background
An onychomatricoma is a subungual tumor of the fingers and toes, described in 1992.
The terminology describing onychomatricomas has slowly been adjusted over time. In 1992, the original description termed this tumor an onychomatrixoma, based on the description of a filamentous, tufted tumor in the matrix. Subsequently, the term onychomatricoma was introduced into the English literature in 1995.
The term onychomatricoma is most descriptive and breaks down as onycho (nail) matric (matrix) oma (tumor).
Currently, histologic criteria have been used to establish subclassifications of onychomatricomas as 1 of 3 types. The clinical relevance of these subclassifications has not yet been well established, but they are described in Histologic Findings.