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Longitudinal Melanoychia
Is longitudinal melanonychia treatable?
How is it diagnosed? I have a dark line from nail bed to tip of nail.
How is it diagnosed? I have a dark line from nail bed to tip of nail.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
Longitudinal melanonychia is the presence of a pigmented stripe, usually brown or black, along the length of the nail bed in darker-skinned individuals. In Caucasian patients, this condition may reflect pituitary tumors, effects of cytotoxic drugs, malnutrition with vitamin B12 deficiency, Addison's disease or Hutchinson’s sign, an underlying subungual melanoma with pigmentation in progress proximally onto the nail fold. Longitudinal melanonychia results from deposition of melanin in the nail plate from a variety of causes.
Other differentials considered are fungal infection, scleroderma, and subungual malignant melanoma. In the treatment of Longitudinal Melanonychia the hyperpigmentation of the skin and nails induced by medication such as doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and hydroxyurea can be reversed back to normal. Treatment may depend on the underlying cause. Longitudinal Melanonychia needs to be evaluated by biopsy to corroborate if it is benign finding rather than a sign of subungual melanoma.
Take care and keep us posted.
Longitudinal melanonychia is the presence of a pigmented stripe, usually brown or black, along the length of the nail bed in darker-skinned individuals. In Caucasian patients, this condition may reflect pituitary tumors, effects of cytotoxic drugs, malnutrition with vitamin B12 deficiency, Addison's disease or Hutchinson’s sign, an underlying subungual melanoma with pigmentation in progress proximally onto the nail fold. Longitudinal melanonychia results from deposition of melanin in the nail plate from a variety of causes.
Other differentials considered are fungal infection, scleroderma, and subungual malignant melanoma. In the treatment of Longitudinal Melanonychia the hyperpigmentation of the skin and nails induced by medication such as doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and hydroxyurea can be reversed back to normal. Treatment may depend on the underlying cause. Longitudinal Melanonychia needs to be evaluated by biopsy to corroborate if it is benign finding rather than a sign of subungual melanoma.
Take care and keep us posted.
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