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About 50% of nail deformities result from fungal infection. The remainder result from various causes, including trauma, psoriasis, lichen planus, and occasionally cancer. Diagnosis may be obvious on examination, but sometimes fungal scrapings and culture may be done. Deformities may resolve with treatment of the cause, but if not, manicurists may be able to hide nail deformities with appropriate trimming and polishes. Dystrophies are often considered together with deformities, but the two are slightly different; deformities are generally considered to be gross changes in nail shape, whereas dystrophies are changes in nail texture or composition (eg, onychomycosis).
Congenital deformities:
In some congenital ectodermal dysplasias, patients have no nails (anonychia). In pachyonychia congenita, the nail beds are thickened, discolored, and hypercurved with a pincer nail deformity. Nail-patella syndrome (see Connective Tissue Disorders in Children: Nail-Patella Syndrome) causes triangular lunulae and partially absent thumb nails. Patients with Darier's disease can have nails with red and white streaks and a distal V-shaped nick.
Deformities associated with systemic problems:
In Plummer-Vinson syndrome, 50% of patients have koilonychia (concave, spoon-shaped nails). Yellow nail syndrome (characterized by hard, hypercurved, transversely thickened, yellow nails with loss of the cuticle) occurs in patients with lymphedema of limbs, pleural effusion, and ascites. Half-and-half nails occur with renal failure; the proximal half of the nail is white, and the distal half is pink or pigmented. White nails occur with cirrhosis, although the distal third may remain pinker.
Deformities associated with dermatologic conditions:
In psoriasis, nails may have a number of changes, including irregular pits, oil spots (localized areas of tan-brown discoloration), onycholysis, and thickening and crumbling of the nail plate. Lichen planus of the nail matrix causes scarring with early longitudinal ridging and splitting of the nail and later leads to pterygium formation. Pterygium of the nail is characterized by scarring from the proximal nail outward in a V formation, which leads ultimately to loss of the nail. Alopecia areata can be accompanied by regular pits that form a pattern.
Discoloration:
Cancer chemotherapy drugs (especially the taxanes) can cause melanonychia (nail plate pigmentation), which can be diffuse or may occur in transverse bands. Some drugs cause characteristic changes in nail coloration. For example, quinacrine can cause nails to appear greenish yellow or white under ultraviolet light. Cyclophosphamide can cause the onychodermal bands (seal formed at the junction of the nail plate and distal nail bed at the free edge of the nail plate) to become slate-gray or bluish. With arsenic intoxication, the nails may turn diffusely brown. Tetracyclines, ketoconazole, phenothiazines, sulfonamides, and phenindione can all cause brownish or blue discoloration. Gold therapy can turn nails light or dark brown. Tobacco use can result in yellow or brownish discoloration. In argyria, the nails may be diffusely blue-gray.
White transverse lines of the nails (Mees' lines) may occur with chemotherapy, acute arsenic intoxication, malignant tumors, MI, thallium and antimony intoxication, fluorosis, and even during etretinate therapy. They also develop with trauma to the finger, although traumatic white lines usually do not span the entire nail. The fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes causes a chalky white discoloration of the nail plate.
Green-nail syndrome is caused by infection with Pseudomonas. It is generally a harmless infection, usually of 1 or 2 nails, and is noteworthy for its striking blue-green color. It often occurs in patients with onycholysis or chronic paronychia whose nails have been immersed in fresh water for a long period. Treatment is most effective with soaks of 1% acetic acid solution or alcohol diluted 1:4 with water. Patients should soak their affected nails twice a day for 10 min and should avoid trauma and excess moisture. Frequent clipping of the nail increases the response to treatment.
Melanonychia striata:
Melonychia striata are hyperpigmented bands that are longitudinal and extend from the proximal nail fold and cuticle to the free distal end of the nail plate. In dark-skinned people, these bands may be a normal physiologic variant requiring no treatment. Other causes include trauma; pregnancy; Addison's disease; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; and the use of certain drugs, including doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, zidovudine (AZT), and psoralens. Melanonychia striata can also occur in benign melanocytic nevi and malignant melanoma. Hutchinson's sign of the nail (melanin extending through the lunula, cuticle, and proximal nail fold) may signal a melanoma in the nail matrix. Rapid biopsy and treatment are essential.
Onychogryphosis:
Onychogryphosis is a nail dystrophy in which the nail, most often on the big toe, becomes thickened and curved. It may be caused by ill-fitting shoes. It is common among the elderly. Treatment consists of trimming the deformed nails.
Onycholysis:
Onycholysis is separation of the nail plate from the nail bed or complete nail plate loss. It can occur as a drug reaction in patients treated with tetracyclines (photo-onycholysis), doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, cardiovascular drugs (particularly practolol and captopril), cloxacillin and cephaloridine (rarely), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, diflunisal, etretinate, indomethacin, isoniazid, and isotretinoin. Partial onycholysis may also result from infection with Candida albicans as a component of onychomycosis or from trauma. Partial onycholysis may occur in patients with psoriasis or thyrotoxicosis.
Onychotillomania:
In this disorder, patients pick at and self-mutilate their nails, which can lead to parallel transverse grooves and ridges (washboard deformity or habit-tic nails). It most commonly manifests in patients who habitually push back the cuticle on one finger, causing dystrophy of the nail plate as it grows. Subungual hemorrhages can also develop in onychotillomania.
Pincer nail deformity:
Pincer nail deformity is a transverse over-curvature of the nail plate. It can occur in patients with psoriasis, SLE, Kawasaki disease, cancer, end-stage renal disease, and some genetic syndromes. Patients often have pain at the borders of the nail where the nail plate curves into the tips of the fingers.
Subungual hematoma and nail bed trauma:
Subungual hematoma occurs when blood becomes trapped between the nail plate and nail bed, usually as a result of trauma. Subungual hematoma causes significant pain and eventual separation of and temporary loss of the nail plate. When the cause is a crush injury, underlying fracture and nail bed damage are common. Nail bed damage may result in permanent nail deformity.
If the injury is acute, nail trephination (eg, creating a hole in the nail plate using a cautery device, 18-gauge needle, or red-hot paperclip) can help relieve pain by draining accumulated blood. It is not clear whether removing the nail and repairing any nail bed damage reduces risk of permanent nail deformity.
Trachyonychia:
Trachyonychia (rough, opaque nails) may occur with alopecia areata, lichen planus, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. It is most common among children.
Tumors:
Benign and malignant tumors can affect the nail unit, causing deformity. These tumors include benign myxoid cysts, pyogenic granulomas, glomus tumors, Bowen's disease, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. When cancer is suspected, expeditious biopsy followed by referral to a surgeon is strongly advised.
Last full review/revision October 2009 by Wingfield E. Rehmus, MD, MPH
Content last modified February 2012
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