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Updated: Jun 26, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Nails in older adults
Samantha Jo Albucker1, Jade Conway2, Shari R Lipner3
1Department of Dermatology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Abstract:
As the world's population of adults greater than 60 years old continues to increase, it is important to manage nail disorders that may impact their daily lives. Nail disorders may have significant impact on quality of life due to decreased functionality, extreme pain, or social embarrassment. In this review, we discuss nail disorders affecting older patients, including physiologic, traumatic, drug-induced, infectious, environmental, inflammatory, and neoplastic conditions. Diagnosis of these conditions involves a detailed history, physical examination of all 20 nails, and depending on the condition, a nail clipping or biopsy and/or diagnostic imaging. Nails grow even more slowly in older adults compared to younger individuals, and therefore it is important for accurate diagnosis, and avoidance of inappropriate management and delay of treatment. Increased awareness of nail pathologies may help recognition and management of nail conditions in older adults.
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