Koilonychia

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Synonyms and keywords: Spoon nail

Koilonychia is a nail disease that can be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia.^[1] Koilonychia means literally “spoon nails.” It refers to nails (usually of the hand) which have lost their convexity, becoming flat or even concave in shape. In a sense, koilonychia is the opposite of nail clubbing. The normal process of change is: brittle nails, straight nails, spoon-shaped nails.

Spooning, or nails that grow upwards is associated with iron or B12 deficiency.

• Plummer-Vinson syndrome

• Addison’s Disease
• Cushing’s Disease
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Grave’s Disease
• Hereditary
• Hypochromic anemia
• Iron deficiency
• Malnutrition
• Multiple Myeloma
• Isolated congenital nail dysplasia
• Pellagra
• Raynaud’s disease
• Steatocystoma multiplex
• Vitamin B12 Deficiency
• Witkop syndrome

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