Related Experiment Videos
[Secondary longitudinal melanonychia secondary to onychophagia]
V Salmon-Ehr1, C Mohn, P Bernard
1Service de Dermatologie, CHU Robert Debré, Reims.
Annales De Dermatologie Et De Venereologie
|March 30, 1999
Background:
Melanonychia of the toenails sometimes results from repeated trauma. This etiology is rarely put forward in lesions affecting the fingernails.
Case Report:
A 44-year-old woman developed melanonychia affecting 9 fingernails. Genetic predisposition and drug, hormonal or infectious causes were ruled out and we postulated that the lesions were induced by nail biting.
Discussion:
Nail biting is known to lead to several types of lesions, including melanonychia. The lesions may sometimes disappear several months after stopping this habit.