Anonychia of all toes with absence of phalangeal bones

A ten year old girl suffered from anonychia of all toes, present from birth. The absence of nails was accompanied by absence of one or two phalangeal bones in toes other than the big toes. Other abnormalities consisted of short toes, incomplete syndactyly of the 2nd and 3rd toes of each foot and transfer of the dermatoglyphics from the plantar to the dorsal surface of the digits. The combined defect of the nails and the phalangeal bones can be explained by the close relationship of the two structures during the morphogenesis of the digits.