- Leukonychia
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Leukonychia Classification and external resources
LeukonychiaICD-10 L60.8, Q84.4 ICD-9 703.8, 757.5 DiseasesDB 14140 Leukonychia (or leuconychia), also known as white nails,[1] is a medical term for white discoloration appearing on nails.[2]:658-9 It is derived from the Greek words leuko ("white") and onyx ("nail"). The most common cause is injury to the base of the nail (the matrix) where the nail is formed.
The presence of leukonychia is not a sign of a lack of vitamin or calcium in the diet, is harmless and may be caused simply from a minor injury that occurs when the nail is growing and that it is much more common on fingernails than toenails. There is no effective treatment for Leukonychia although reducing minor injury to the nails prevents the white marks and spots that will gradually disappear as the nail grows outward from the matrix with the nail plate and eventually disappear. [3]
Contents
Types
Leukonychia totalis
This condition is a whitening of the entire nail. This may be due to hypoalbuminaemia (low albumin), which is caused by the nephrotic syndrome (a form of kidney failure), liver failure, protein malabsorption and protein-losing enteropathies. A genetic condition, and a side effect of sulphonamides, a family of antibiotics can also cause this appearance.[4][5]
Leukonychia partialis
This condition is whitening of parts of the nail. Generally characterised by white dots. There are several types of this condition.
Leukonychia striata or transverse leukonychia
This is a whitening or discoloration of the nail in bands or "stria" that run parallel the lunula (nail base). It may be caused by cirrhosis, chemotherapy,[6] or physical injury to the nail matrix (e.g., excessive nail "tapping", or slamming in a car door).[7][8][9] Alternatively, the condition can be caused by arsenic, lead, or other heavy metal poisoning.[citation needed] The tendency toward leukonychia striata is sometimes inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. In other cases, it can be attributed to vigorous manicuring, to trauma, or to a wide variety of systemic illnesses. In many patients, there is no obvious cause, and the streaks resolve spontaneously. [10]
There is a similar condition called Muehrcke's lines which differs from leukonychia in that the lines run across the entire nail bed and occur in more than one nail.
Leukonychia punctata
Also known as "true" leukonychia, this is the most common form of leukonychia, in which small white spots appear on the nails. Picking and biting of the nails are a prominent cause in young children and nail biters.
In most cases, when white spots appear on a single or a couple of fingers or toes, the most common cause is injury to the base (matrix) of the nail. When this is the case, white spots disappear after around eight weeks, which is the amount of time necessary for nails to regrow completely.[11]
Diagnosis and treatment
A doctor will take a thorough medical history, and may test liver and kidney function.
References
- ^ James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. (10th ed.). Saunders. Page 789. ISBN 0721629210.
- ^ Freedberg, et al. (2003). Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071380760.
- ^ [http://www.ultimate-cosmetics.com/nail-disorders/leukonychia.htm}
- ^ DermIS - Leukonychia Totalis (image)
- ^ Leukonychia Totalis information
- ^ Miles DW, Rubens RD (1995). "Images in clinical medicine. Transverse leukonychia". N. Engl. J. Med. 333 (2): 100. doi:10.1056/NEJM199507133330205. PMID 7777013. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/333/2/100.
- ^ Medscape Today: Traumatic Transverse Leukonychia
- ^ DermIS - Leukonychia Striata (image)
- ^ Leukonychia Striata information
- ^ [1]
- ^ The Nail Geek: My Big Fat Greek Leukonychia
External links
- What causes white spots on your fingernails? at The Straight Dope
- -234487799 at GPnotebook
- DermAtlas 129
Disorders of skin appendages (L60–L75, 703–706) Nail behavior: Onychotillomania · Onychophagiaother: Ingrown nail · Anonychiaungrouped: Paronychia (Acute paronychia, Chronic paronychia ) · Chevron nail · Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers · Green nails · Half and half nails · Hangnail · Hapalonychia · Hook nail · Lichen planus of the nails · Longitudinal erythronychia · Malalignment of the nail plate · Median nail dystrophy · Mees' lines · Melanonychia · Muehrcke's lines · Nail–patella syndrome · Onychoatrophy · Onychocryptosis · Onycholysis · Onychomadesis · Onychomatricoma · Onychomycosis · Onychophosis · Onychoptosis defluvium · Onychorrhexis · Onychoschizia · Platonychia · Pincer nails · Plummer's nail · Psoriatic nails · Pterygium inversum unguis · Pterygium unguis · Purpura of the nail bed · Racquet nail · Red lunulae · Shell nail syndrome · Splinter hemorrhage · Spotted lunulae · Staining of the nail plate · Stippled nails · Subungual hematoma · Terry's nails · Twenty-nail dystrophyHair noncicatricial alopecia: Alopecia/Alopecia areata (Alopecia totalis, Alopecia universalis, Ophiasis)
Androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) · Hypotrichosis · Telogen effluvium · Traction alopecia · Lichen planopilaris · Trichorrhexis nodosa · Alopecia neoplastica · Anagen effluvium · Alopecia mucinosacicatricial alopecia: Pseudopelade of Brocq · Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia · Pressure alopecia · Traumatic alopecia · Tumor alopecia · Hot comb alopecia · Perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens · Graham-Little syndrome · Folliculitis decalvansHirsutism · Acquired generalized hypertrichosis · Generalized congenital hypertrichosis · Localized acquired hypertrichosis · Localized congenital hypertrichosis · Patterned acquired hypertrichosis · Prepubertal hypertrichosis · X-linked hypertrichosisAcneAcne vulgaris · Acne conglobata · Acne miliaris necrotica · Tropical acne · Infantile acne/Neonatal acne · Excoriated acne · Acne fulminans · Acne medicamentosa (e.g., steroid acne) · Halogen acne (Iododerma, Bromoderma, Chloracne) · Oil acne · Tar acne · Acne cosmetica · Occupational acne · Acne aestivalis · Acne keloidalis nuchae · Acne mechanica · Acne with facial edema · Pomade acne · Acne necrotica · Blackhead · Lupus miliaris disseminatus facieiPerioral dermatitis (Granulomatous perioral dermatitis) · Phymatous rosacea (Rhinophyma, Blepharophyma, Gnathophyma, Metophyma, Otophyma) · Papulopustular rosacea · Lupoid rosacea · Erythrotelangiectatic rosacea · Glandular rosacea · Gram-negative rosacea · Steroid rosacea · Ocular rosacea · Persistent edema of rosacea · Rosacea conglobata · variants (Periorificial dermatitis, Pyoderma faciale)UngroupedGranulomatous facial dermatitis · Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma · Periorbital dermatitis · SAPHO syndromeFollicular cystsFolliculitis (Folliculitis nares perforans, Tufted folliculitis) · Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Hidradenitis (Hidradenitis suppurativa, Recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis, Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis)UngroupedAcrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex · Acroosteolysis · Bubble hair deformity · Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis · Erosive pustular dermatitis of the scalp · Erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli · Hair casts · Hair follicle nevus · Intermittent hair–follicle dystrophy · Keratosis pilaris atropicans · Kinking hair · Koenen's tumor · Lichen planopilaris · Lichen spinulosus · Loose anagen syndrome · Menkes kinky hair syndrome · Monilethrix · Parakeratosis pustulosa · Pili (Pili annulati · Pili bifurcati · Pili multigemini · Pili pseudoannulati · Pili torti) · Pityriasis amiantacea · Plica neuropathica · Poliosis · Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome · Setleis syndrome · Traumatic anserine folliculosis · Trichomegaly · Trichomycosis axillaris · Trichorrhexis (Trichorrhexis invaginata · Trichorrhexis nodosa) · Trichostasis spinulosa · Uncombable hair syndrome · Wooly hair · Wooly hair nevusSweat glands Miliaria (Colloid milium • Miliaria crystalline • Miliaria profunda • Miliaria pustulosa • Miliaria rubra • Occlusion miliaria • Postmiliarial hypohidrosis), Granulosis rubra nasi, Ross’ syndrome, Anhidrosis, Hyperhidrosis (Generalized, Gustatory, Palmoplantar)Body odor, Chromhidrosis, Fox–Fordyce diseaseCongenital malformations and deformations of skin appendages (Q84, 757.4–757.5) Nail disease Hair disease hypotrichosis/abnormalities: keratin disease (Monilethrix) · IBIDS syndrome · Sabinas brittle hair syndrome · Pili annulati · Pili torti · Uncombable hair syndrome · Björnstad syndrome · Giant axonal neuropathy with curly hair
hypertrichosis: Zimmermann–Laband syndromeCategories:- Conditions of the skin appendages
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