Nail Disorders

The term "nail disorder" refers to a change in the appearance or condition of healthy nails. Healthy nails are smooth and hard with an even colour. Deformities such as white spots or vertical ridges on the nail surface are harmless. Other nail disorders that seem simple require treatment because they can affect everyday tasks such as walking, holding objects, and fastening buttons. Changes to nails may also signal significant damage to the nail and surrounding tissue, or an underlying disease that requires consultation with a physician and treatment of the condition.

The following table lists some problems and possible causes of nail disorders:

Nail Appearance		Potential Cause
White spots on nail		Mild trauma; may indicate infection
Thin, reddish-brown vertical lines under the nail		Damage to blood vessels in nail bed
Clear, jelly-filled bubble at nail base		Mucinous cyst that requires removal
Dark spots, streaks		Injury; if no injury, melanoma (skin cancer)
Pits, ripples, discoloration; crumbling and separation from nail bed		Psoriatic nails accompanying psoriasis
White nails		Liver Diseases
Half of nail is pink, other half is white		Kidney Diseases
Thick, yellow nails; slow growth		Lung disease
Nail bed is red		Heart Conditions
Nail bed is pale		Anemia
Yellow nails, slightly pink at base		Diabetes
No nail, thick nail, curved nail		Congenital deformities
Triangular half-moon at base of nail, thumb nails partially absent		Nail-Patella Syndrome
Concave, spoon-shaped nail		Plummer-Vinson syndrome
Rough, pitted opaque nail		Alopecia areata
Horizontal white lines		Abnormality in blood vessels beneath nail; may point to other conditions such as pellagra, Hodgkin desease, sickle cell anemia