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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Systemic disease can produce changes in the nails. Perhaps the best known example of this is koilonychia as a sequale of iron deficiency anemia. "Half and half nail" is a type of pseudoleuconychia that can be caused by chronic renal disease, Kawasaki's disease, cirrhosis, and zinc deficiency. It has not been described in patients with Crohn's disease yet. Four male patients with Crohn's disease were observed. None of them had extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease. The average duration of the disease was 5.25 (range, 1-10) years. The nail alterations were defined with a portion of the nail being as much as 15 to 40 percent of normal color distally, whereas the rest of the nail was white. The contrast between the two zones remains sharply demarcated even after constricting venous return. Histologic examination was not performed. Every patient had zinc deficiency but not hypalbuminaemia or sideropenia. After review of relevant literature (MEDLINE, PubMed, etc.), we found that half-and-half nail had not been described in Crohn's disease. This study was designed to highlight the fact that the half-and-half nail, which was thought to be a sign of chronic renal failure, also occurs in patients with Crohn's disease. The relationship of this symptom to clinical activity cannot yet be assessed and has only been observed in four cases.
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PMID:The half-and-half nail: a new sign of Crohn's disease? Report of four cases. 1669 71

Knowledge of the anatomy and function of the nail apparatus is essential when performing the physical examination. Inspection may reveal localized nail abnormalities that should be treated, or may provide clues to an underlying systemic disease that requires further workup. Excessive keratinaceous material under the nail bed in a distal and lateral distribution should prompt an evaluation for onychomycosis. Onychomycosis may be diagnosed through potassium hydroxide examination of scrapings. If potassium hydroxide testing is negative for the condition, a nail culture or nail plate biopsy should be performed. A proliferating, erythematous, disruptive mass in the nail bed should be carefully evaluated for underlying squamous cell carcinoma. Longitudinal melanonychia (vertical nail bands) must be differentiated from subungual melanomas, which account for 50 percent of melanomas in persons with dark skin. Dystrophic longitudinal ridges and subungual hematomas are local conditions caused by trauma. Edema and erythema of the proximal and lateral nail folds are hallmark features of acute and chronic paronychia. Clubbing may suggest an underlying disease such as cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or celiac sprue. Koilonychia (spoon nail) is commonly associated with iron deficiency anemia. Splinter hemorrhages may herald endocarditis, although other causes should be considered. Beau lines can mark the onset of a severe underlying illness, whereas Muehrcke lines are associated with hypoalbuminemia. A pincer nail deformity is inherited or acquired and can be associated with beta-blocker use, psoriasis, onychomycosis, tumors of the nail apparatus, systemic lupus erythematosus, Kawasaki disease, and malignancy.
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PMID:Evaluation of nail abnormalities. 2253 87