Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Melanonychia
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Melanonychia is a black or brown pigmentation of the normal nail plate, and may be present as a normal finding on many digits in black patients, as a result of trauma, systemic disease, or medications, or as a post-inflammatory event from such localized events as lichen planus or fixed drug eruption.[1][2]
Classification
Classification
There are two types of melanonychia, transverse and longitudinal.
Differentiating melanonychia from other Diseases
Differentiating melanonychia from other Diseases
Longitudinal melanonychia may be a sign of subungual melanoma (Acral lentiginous melanoma), although there are other diagnosis such as:
References
References
- ↑ Odom, Richard B.; Davidsohn, Israel; James, William D.; Henry, John Bernard; Berger, Timothy G.; Clinical diagnosis by laboratory methods; Dirk M. Elston (2006). Andrews’ diseases of the skin: clinical dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.
- ↑ Freedberg, Irwin M.; Fitzpatrick, Thomas B. (2003). Fitzpatrick’s dermatology in general medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub. Division. ISBN 0-07-138076-0.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]