Unlocking potential: clinical benefits of enlarging the nail bed explored through continuous W-shaped incisions

PURPOSE

Nail bed atrophy, a common condition for which conservative treatments have limited efficacy, continues to present challenges in determining the optimal surgical intervention. This study introduces a novel technique for nail bed expansion.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 34 patients with nail bed atrophy, selected between 2015 and 2020 (ChiCTR2000036232), were randomized into a control group (n = 17) and a surgical group (n = 17). While no specialized treatment was administered to the control group, the surgical group underwent continuous W-shaped incisions on the ventral side of the digits.

RESULTS

Following a 12-month follow-up period, changes in nail bed height, width, area, esthetic satisfaction, pain levels, and tactile sensation were assessed in both groups. In the surgical group, the height, width, and area of the nail bed increased significantly by 1.50 ± 0.49 times, 1.16 ± 0.23 times, and 1.69 ± 0.60 times, respectively, compared to the preoperative measurements. The newly-formed nail plate exhibited improved esthetics, characterized by its smoothness and transparency, a marked improvement over the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, this surgical approach showed significant effects, regardless of whether it was applied to fingers or toes.

CONCLUSION

The continuous W-shaped incision technique demonstrated substantial benefits and could be a practical therapeutic approach for nail bed enlargement.

Appearance Outcomes of Repositioned Native Nail Plate as a Free Graft and Artificial Nail Plate in the Reconstruction of the Fingertip Injuries

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cosmetic outcomes of native nail plate (NP) replacement as a free graft and using an artificial NP in reconstruction of the fingertip injuries.

Methods

Two prospective cohorts of patients with fingertip injuries and avulsed NPs were evaluated. In group 1 (54 patients with 61 fingertip injuries), the native NP was available and suitable for placement under the proximal nail fold. In group 2 (31 patients with 32 fingertip injuries), the native NP was either lost or highly damaged and it was not suitable for use. In this group, an artificial NP was used. The final cosmetic outcomes of regrown NPs were evaluated at a minimum of 4 months after surgery using the Oxford Finger Nail Appearance Score.

Results

"Trapped in a door" was the most common cause of injury in pediatric patients, whereas work-related injuries were the most common cause of injury in adults. The difference between the mean appearance scores of the two groups favored group 1 (native NP). There was a negative correlation between the patient age and appearance scores, irrespective of the treatment group. The presence of a distal phalanx fracture adversely affected the appearance scores.

Conclusions

Replacing the native NP for splinting in fingertip injuries is advantageous. Fingertip injuries in pediatric patients and fingertip injuries without distal phalanx fractures achieved better cosmesis scores.

Type of study/level of evidence

Therapeutic III.

Prevalence of pesticide related occupational diseases among Indonesian vegetable farmers - A collaborative work

Objective

This study was done to understand the prevalence of various occupational diseases including dry eyes, nail dystrophy, and neuropathy related to pesticide exposure in Indonesian local vegetable farmers.

Methods

The data were collected through questionnaires and physical examination involving dermatology, neurology, and ophthalmology domains at Ngablak District, Magelang, Central Java directed to local vegetable farmers. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and the Schirmer test were used. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 21.0) and presented in tables.

Results

Inadequate spraying equipment and improper storage of pesticides were found. Out of 105 farmers, 41.9 % experienced occupational skin diseases (OSD). Definite cognitive impairments were found in 3.4 % of subjects but probable in 28.3 % of subjects. Neuropathies were found in 61.7 % of subjects, and dry-eyes syndrome were found in 28.78 % of subjects.

Conclusion

There was a high prevalence of peripheral neuropathy and tremor, dry eyes syndrome in one-third of the population, and the most common skin problem was nail discoloration, with a low incidence of contact dermatitis.

Bazex Syndrome Associated with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip: A Rare Paraneoplastic Acrokeratosis with Nail Dystrophy

INTRODUCTION

Acrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex (APB) is a rare paraneoplastic dermatosis having definite association with malignancy, most commonly squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the upper aerodigestive tract. It is characterized by psoriasiform plaques involving the ears, nose, hands, and feet. Nail changes are commonly encountered, including onychauxis, subungual hyperkeratosis, xanthonychia, onycholysis, and onychorrhexis.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report the details of a 40-year-old male who presented with cutaneous changes involving both ears, palms, and soles and multiple nails, suggestive of APB. These typical changes were succeeded by an SCC of the lip.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

In 70% cases of APB, nail changes precede the diagnosis of the underlying neoplasm by up to 10 months, offering a good lead-time for early suspicion of malignancy. Our case highlights the importance of recognizing these changes early. An atypical location of malignancy (lower lip) and rare presentations, including painful acrokeratosis, melanonychia striata, and chloronychia, as seen in our case, should also be kept in mind.

Recurrent Onychomadesis of the Toenails in Children and Adults: A Case Series

INTRODUCTION

Onychomadesis occurs when the nail plate separates from the nail matrix and nail bed, eventually leading to shedding of the nail. This condition has been attributed to viral infections, autoimmune disorders, drug side effects, and physical trauma. A subset of patients has a recurrent form of onychomadesis without a clear trigger; this phenomenon is not well characterized in the literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a case series of pediatric and adult patients with recurrent toenail onychomadesis in order to better characterize the disorder and explore possible etiologies, risk factors, and treatments.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

For the cases herein, we propose microtrauma associated with footwear as the underlying etiology given the periodicity of nail shedding, exclusion of other etiological factors, and presence of predisposing risk factors in certain patients. Many patients saw improvement with application of urea 40% cream, suggesting this can be a valuable part of a treatment strategy, in addition to minimizing injury to involved digits.

Reaching Treatment Goals in Psoriasis with Conventional Systemic Drugs: How Long Are We Willing to Wait?

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attainment of treatment goals according to the European Consensus Programme (ECP-TGs) from 2011 in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis (Pso) treated with the first conventional systemic therapy and to identify factors that might compromise the attainment of these treatment goals.

METHODS

In a multicenter, prospective observational study, patients with moderate to severe Pso, defined as either body surface area (BSA) >10% or psoriasis area severity index (PASI) >10 and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) >10, received a conventional systemic therapy that could be modified at each follow-up visit over the course of 18 months. All subjects signed an informed consent form, were ≥18 years of age as well as systemic therapy naïve, and had regular study visits at months 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 after baseline. Among others and in addition to demographic and disease-related characteristics at baseline, we documented BSA, PASI, DLQI, and the physician-reported attainment of treatment goals at each follow-up visit. Factors related to a failure in achieving the ECP-TGs (i.e., either Δ PASI ≥75 or Δ PASI ≥50 and <75 with a DLQI ≤5) at month 18 were investigated by multiple logistic regression. Descriptive results are presented as the mean ± SD for interval data, and absolute as well as relative frequencies for nominal data. For this part of the analysis, data at baseline and months 6, 12, and 18 are presented.

RESULTS

A total of 133 Pso patients with a mean age and disease duration of 49.5 ± 14.4 and 15.6 ± 12.8 years, respectively, were included in the analysis; 54.1% (n = 72) were male. The mean baseline disease-related outcomes were: BSA: 21.5 ± 15.8%, PASI: 13.7 ± 7.14, and DLQI: 12.0 ± 6.11. The most common conventional systemic therapies initiated at baseline were fumaric acid esters (n = 74, 55.6%), methotrexate (n = 46, 34,6%), and ciclosporin (n = 6, 4.5%). The ECP-TGs were achieved by 58 patients (43.6%) at month 6, 86 patients (64.7%) at month 12, and 97 patients (72.9%) at month 18. An optimized reduced logistic regression model identified the presence of onycholysis/nail dystrophy at two or more digits to be associated with failing to attain the ECP-TGs (OR 10.7, 95% CI 2.5-46.7, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Patients with onycholysis/nail dystrophy at two or more digits were identified as having a higher risk of not achieving ECP-TGs under conventional systemic therapy. The ECP-TGs from 2011 were attained by 43.6% of our patients 6 months after starting conventional systemic therapies. In the era of safe, fast, and efficacious Pso therapies, much higher treatment goals might be achieved during therapy. New treatment goals are only of use if patients and dermatologists strive to attain them.

Ultrasound characterization of the nail bed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

To characterize the ultrasound findings of the nail plate and nail bed in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its association with nail dystrophy.

METHODS

Thirty-two SLE patients, 36 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and 20 healthy individuals were studied. High-frequency linear ultrasound was performed in nails of the second to fifth fingers in all participants. Disease activity (SLEDAI-2K index), accrued organ damage (SLICC/ACR index), autoantibody profile, and Raynaud's phenomenon were also assessed in SLE patients.

RESULTS

Nail bed thickness in SLE patients was higher than in healthy individuals (1.25 ± 0.31 mm vs 1.17 ± 0.29 mm; P = 0.01) but lower than in OA (1.39 ± 0.37 mm; P < 0.001), while nail plate thickness was similar among groups. Nail dystrophy was found more frequently in SLE and OA than in healthy individuals. SLE patients with nail dystrophy were older than their counterparts with no dystrophy (39.4 ± 10.4 years vs 27.8 ± 5.6 years; P = 0.004), although nail dystrophy showed no association with SLICC/ACR, SLEDAI-2K, nail bed vascularity, or autoantibodies.

CONCLUSIONS

Nail bed in SLE patients is thicker than in healthy individuals but thinner than in OA patients. Nail dystrophy in SLE is associated with advanced age, but not with accrued organ damage, disease activity, Raynaud's phenomenon, or DIP synovitis assessed by ultrasound.

Marvelous Response of Severe Onychotillomania to Treatment with Local Steroid Injection plus Topical Calcipotriol/Betamethasone Dipropionate Combination

Onychotillomania is a psychodermatosis that results from self-induced repeated trauma to the nail unit. It is characterized by the neurotic and irresistible urge to pick at, pull out, or harmfully bite or injure the nail(s). Multiple psychological factors can be involved. It can be difficult to diagnose, as patients mostly deny the self-destructive behavior, and the clinical features may mimic other inflammatory conditions of the nail apparatus. It presents with typical, usually bizarre morphologies of the nail plate. There is no evidence-based treatment for the condition, and it can be highly resistant to both dermatological and psychological interventions. Based on history and classical nail changes, a case of onychotillomania in a 19-year-old woman successfully treated with local steroid injection plus topical calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate combination is presented. An injection of a local steroid (0.2 mL of 5 mg/mL triamcinolone acetonide) was given monthly for 3 months and was then decreased to a bimonthly interval. In addition, topical calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate combination was applied daily for 3 months and was then decreased to every other day. Clinical improvement was noted after the third month, while complete resolution of the condition was achieved after 8 months. This treatment regimen can be advocated for similar nail dystrophies after excluding infective etiology.

Exceptional mucocutaneous manifestations with amyloid nephropathy: a case report

Background

Amyloidosis is a very rare disease that is difficult to diagnose because of the unspecific early clinical manifestations of the disease. Accurate and early diagnosis is extremely important because the effect of treatment is dependent on the extent of disease progression. Sicca syndrome and nail dystrophy are very rare symptoms of amyloidosis. We report here a case of sicca syndrome and nail dystrophy with renal dysfunction in a 52-year-old Korean woman who was diagnosed as having systemic amyloidosis.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 52-year-old Korean woman complaining of dry mouth and nail dystrophy for 4 months as an initial symptom. A slit lamp examination revealed superficial keratoconjunctival erosion in both eyes. A laboratory test showed anemia, azotemia, and proteinuria. Urine protein electrophoresis showed increased gamma globulin excretion. Serum free light chain of kappa and lambda were increased. Histopathological studies of biopsy specimens of minor salivary glands and kidney revealed deposits of amyloid fibrils. A bone marrow aspiration biopsy showed hypercellular marrow with 5% plasma cells. She was diagnosed as having primary systemic amyloidosis then started on chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Such atypical mucocutaneous manifestations of amyloidosis can serve as important early diagnostic signs with less invasive biopsy confirmation in patients with systemic amyloidosis.

Dyskeratosis congenita with a novel genetic variant in the DKC1 gene: a case report

Background

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare genetic disorder of bone marrow failure inherited in an X-linked, autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive pattern. It has a wide array of clinical features and patients may be cared for by many medical sub specialties. The typical clinical features consist of lacy reticular skin pigmentation, nail dystrophy and oral leukoplakia. As the disease advances, patients may develop progressive bone marrow failure, pulmonary fibrosis, oesophageal stenosis, urethral stenosis, liver cirrhosis as well as haematological and solid malignancies. Several genes have been implicated in the pathogenesis of dyskeratosis congenita, with the dyskerin pseudouridine synthase 1 (DKC1) gene mutations being the X-linked recessive gene.

Case presentation

Herein, we report a 31-year-old male with history of recurrent febrile episodes who was found to have reticulate skin pigmentation interspersed with hypopigmented macules involving the face, neck and extremities, hyperkeratosis of palms and soles, nail dystrophy, leukoplakia of the tongue, premature graying of hair, watery eyes and dental caries. Several of his male relatives, including two maternal uncles and three maternal cousins were affected with a similar type of disease condition. Pedigree analysis suggested a possible X-linked pattern of inheritance. Genetic testing in the proband showed a novel hemizygous, non-synonymous likely pathogenic variant [NM_001363.4: c.1054A > G: p.Thr352Ala] in the PUA domain of the DKC1 gene. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for relative telomere length measurements performed in the proband showed that he had very short telomeres [0.38, compared to a control median of 0.71 (range 0.44–1.19)], which is consistent with the DC diagnosis. Co-segregation analysis of the novel mutation and telomere length measurements in the extended family members could not be performed as they were unwilling to provide consent for testing.

Conclusions

The novel variant detected in the DKC1 gene adds further to the existing scientific literature on the genotype-phenotype correlation of DC, and has important implications for the clinical and molecular characterization of the disease.

Nail Psoriasis Triggered by the Reconstruction of Syndactyly

Koebner phenomenon is observed in a number of inflammatory skin diseases. Psoriasis is one of the most common skin diseases associated with Koebner phenomenon. Nail psoriasis may be developed independently from inflammatory arthritis and skin psoriasis. This study reports on the reconstruction of third web of a 30-year-old woman, which performed on her right, due to congenital syndactyly. Four months postoperatively, she developed nail dystrophy, onycholysis and onychorrhexis of the middle, ring and little fingernails. The clinical and histopathology findings were compatible with diagnosis of isolated nail psoriasis.

Recovery of nail dystrophy potential new therapeutic indication of tofacitinib

Nail dystrophy is a heterogeneous skin condition and in some subtypes, is associated with autoimmune diseases in particular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In this report, we show that tofacitinib, a novel therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, appears to be beneficial in patients with nail disease refractory to other conventional modes of therapy.

A case report of rare palmoplantar keratosis and nail dystrophy with imatinib

A 48-year-old woman developed palmoplantar hyperkeratosis during treatment with imatinib (400mg/day) for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. After 5months of treatment, she developed plantar lesions with yellow-brownish plaques and palmar desquamations. The skin biopsy has eliminated psoriasis. Imatinib was discontinued, and treatment with an emollient balm and a soothing repair cream with an improvement of symptoms. A French imputability assessment score of I3 was obtained, indicating a probable relationship between the side effect and imatinib. In our case, the skin adverse events require definitive drug discontinuation and change of treatment.

FOXN1 deficient nude severe combined immunodeficiency

Nude severe combined immunodeficiency is a rare inherited disease caused by autosomal recessive loss-of-function mutations in FOXN1. This gene encodes a transcription factor essential for the development of the thymus, the primary lymphoid organ that supports T-cell development and selection. To date nine cases have been reported presenting with the clinical triad of absent thymus resulting in severe T-cell immunodeficiency, congenital alopecia universalis and nail dystrophy. Diagnosis relies on testing for FOXN1 mutations, which allows genetic counselling and guides therapeutic management. Options for treating the underlying immune deficiency include HLA-matched genoidentical haematopoietic cell transplantation containing mature donor T-cells or thymus tissue transplantation. Experience from other severe combined immune deficiency syndromes suggests that early diagnosis, supportive care and definitive management result in better patient outcomes. Without these the prognosis is poor due to early-onset life threatening infections.

Clinical and Educational Gaps in Diagnosis of Nail Disorders

Dermatologists care for skin, hair, and nails, yet many dermatologists find nail disorders challenging. Practice gaps in knowledge, skill, and attitude in clinical practice and resident education are sometimes impediments to timely medical and surgical diagnosis of nail disorders. Limited resident exposure to diagnosis and management of complicated nail disorders and lack of experience performing diagnostic and surgical procedures impairs progress toward surmounting these gaps.

Onychomycosis - a small step for quality of care

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail unit, representing the most common nail disorder and accounting for 50% all nail diseases. Unfortunately, many patients are mismanaged, as physicians routinely treat onychomycosis empirically, falsely believing that they can make the diagnosis based on history and clinical inspection alone. We propose and provide evidence for why the diagnosis of onychomycosis should be confirmed by objective methods in each patient before initiating treatment.

Trichorrhexis nodosa with nail dystrophy: diagnosis by dermoscopy

A 25-year-old male, born of non-consanguineous marriage presented with complaints of sparse and thin hairs over scalp and dystrophy of nails since childhood. This case highlights the association of trichorrhexis nodosa with nail dystrophy and the use of trichoscopy as a noninvasive method for diagnosis of hair disorders.