SS: Inflammation under a baby's fingernail helped reveal a rare brain tumor

An infection under a fingernail helped doctors discover a brain tumor in a baby from Scotland. The unusual case involved Joey Sharp, who was just 11 days old when he was diagnosed. The medical case was reported by The Scottish Sun.

In 2020, the boy was taken to hospital because he was feeding poorly, losing weight, and had persistent jaundice and episodes of twitching. During the examination, doctors noticed a small area of inflammation under one of his fingernails. Further diagnostic tests revealed a brain tumor that was responsible for his symptoms.

The tumor was a glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Joey underwent three surgeries and nine courses of chemotherapy. At the height of his illness, he experienced more than 30 epileptic seizures a day and required a feeding tube. The boy also took part in a clinical trial investigating treatment for infants.

In August 2021, after his final course of chemotherapy, doctors told the family that scans showed no further signs of the disease. Joey is now five years old and attends school. However, he developed cerebral palsy following treatment: he has very limited use of his right arm, wears a brace and uses a wheelchair for longer distances.

Experts from the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) described the diagnosis as congenital glioblastoma. The tumor is thought to have been present at birth, although this cannot be proven. According to research, glioblastoma is much more common in adults, while high-grade gliomas account for only a small proportion of brain tumors in children.

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