Final answer:
Paronychia is the inflammation of the skin surrounding the nail plate, which can result in redness, swelling, and pain. The affected area is often the eponychium, also known as the nail cuticle. This condition is typically due to an infection and is part of the body's inflammatory response to injury or pathogens.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to indicate inflammation of the skin surrounding the nail plate or body is known as paronychia. Paronychia is an infection of the periungual skin, which is the skin that surrounds the nail body. The eponychium, also referred to as the nail cuticle, is the fold of skin at the proximal end of the nail body. When this area becomes inflamed, typically due to an infection, the condition is referred to as paronychia. Symptoms may include redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes the formation of pus-filled blisters.
The nail body, or nail plate, itself is a keratinous plate that forms the hard part of the nail and is laid over the nail bed. The nail bed is the pinkish area beneath the nail plate, rich in blood vessels, contributing to the typical pink coloring of healthy nails. Providing important back-support for fine motions such as picking up small objects, the nail body is crucial for protecting the distal phalanges and aiding in tactile sensation.
Inflammation in the body is a response to injury or infection and is marked by redness, warmth, and pain concentrated at the site of the disturbed area. The inflammatory response plays a vital role in the body's defense mechanisms, helping to fight off pathogens and begin the healing process. When involving the surrounding structures of the nail body, such as the eponychium, the condition is specifically termed paronychia.