Nail Changes in Immuno-Bullous Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBD) can affect skin, mucosae, and appendages.
• Appendageal involvement, particularly nail changes, is frequently observed but not extensively studied.
• Nail changes are common during disease flares in AIBD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and patterns of nail changes in various immunobullous disorders.
• To investigate the relationship between nail changes and disease duration and severity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted with 74 patients diagnosed with immunobullous diseases.
• Prevalence of nail changes was determined, and associations with disease duration and severity were analyzed using ANOVA and unpaired t-test.
• Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software.

Main Results:

• Nail changes were present in 91% of the studied patients with AIBD.
• A significant association was found between the number of nail changes and the severity of mucosal involvement (P < 0.05).
• No significant difference in nail changes was observed concerning disease duration or severity grades of specific conditions like Pemphigus vulgaris and Pemphigus foliaceous.

Conclusions:

• Nails are frequently affected in autoimmune blistering diseases.
• The extent of nail changes is linked to the severity of mucosal disease.
• Disease duration does not appear to influence the number of nail changes observed.