Onycholysis
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Onycholysis is a loosening of the exposed portion of the nail from the nail bed, usually beginning at the free edge and continuing to the lunula. It is frequently associated with an internal disorder, trauma, infection, nail fungi, allergy to nail enhancement products, or side effects of drugs.
Pathophysiology
Gross Pathology
Image shown below is courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology
Causes
Common Causes
- Trauma: such as excessive manicuring.
- Infection: especially fungal.
- Skin disease: such as psoriasis and dermatitis.
- Impaired peripheral circulation such as in Raynaud’s disease.
- Systemic disease: such as hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, reactive arthritis, porphyria cutanea tarda.
- Reactions to some detergents such as washing dishes with bare hands and using detergent-based shampoos or soaps.
- Treatment with docetaxel.
- Occurring spontaneously with an unknown cause.
Causes in Alphabetical Order
- Alopecia areata
- Atopic dermatitis
- Benoxaprofen
- Circulatory system diseases
- Dermatitis
- Diabetes Insipidus
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride
- Drugs
- Eczema
- Hemangioma under the nail
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Infections
- Onychomycosis
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
- Psoriasis
- Raynaud’s disease
- Reactive Arthritis
- Reiter’s Disease
- Thyroid Disease
- Tinea unguium
- Trauma
- Tumor
- Yellow nail syndrome
References
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