Nail Disease Flashcards
The nail unit consists of what 5 structures?
- Nail matrix
- Nail bed
- Hyponychium
- Proximal nail folds
- Lateral nail folds.
What is this and what does it represent?
The Lanula.
It is the white part of the nail matrix.
What is this and what does it represent?
Is it pathological?
Beau’s Lines
- It represeents a slow down in the growth of the nail matrix.
- In newborns they are not pathological
- In adults, they can come due to: allergic reaction, surgery, medical illness.
What is this?
What pathology should you consider?
Koilonychia
(Spoon shaped nails)
- In adults, consider:
- Iron deficiency
- Thyroid problems
- Connective tissue disease?
What is this?
Is it pathological?
What conditions is it associated with?
Onychorrhexis
- Normal in the elderly
- In adults consider:
- Lichen planus
- Darier’s disease
- Circulatory disorders
What is this?
Who gets it?
Melanonynia
(Naevus in the nail matrix)
Darker skin types.
What is this?
Onychoschizia
- Usually due to water exposure. (i.e. sucking thumb)
What are these?
Onychogryphosis
- Hyperkeratotic thickened nail plates.
- Elderly due to mobility issues and poor nail grooming.
What are the most causative pathogens in Onychomycosis?
- Trichophyton rubrum
- Trichophyton mentagrophytes
What conditions can mimic Onychomycosis?
- Psoriasis
- Lichen Planus
- Congenital Nail disease
What are the topical treatments for onychomycosis?
When would you consider them?
- <2 nails are affect or <50% of the nail plate.
-
Amorolfine 5% lacquer.
- Apply twice weekly for 6-12 months.
- File the nail before hand.
-
Alternative topicals include:
- Ciclopirox 8% OD for 48 weeks.
- Tioconazol
- Newer Triazol Eficonaconazol.
- Consider 40% urea to help penetration enhancement.
What are systemic therapies for onychomycosis?
- Terbinafine (First line)
- S/E - Nausea, Diarrhoea, hepatic dysfunction & permanent taste distrubances..
- Baseline LFTs and FBC are needed.
- Do not give if alcohol misuse or hepatitis
What are the most effective oral treatments for Candida infections?
Azoles (Itraconazole)
What is useful against yeasts, dermatophytes and non-dermatophyte moulds?
Itraconazole
What are the side effects of itraconazole?
- Headaches
- GI Upset.
If someone is on the COCP, why should you be careful about prescribing Itraconazole?
It is a potent p450 inhibitor
Who is itraconazole contraindicated in?
- Congestive heart failure
- Arrythmias
Describe the 2 treatment approaches with Itraconazole?
- Continuous: 200mg daily for 12 weeks
-
Pulsed: 400mg/d for 1 week per month
- 2 pulses for fingernails
- 3 for toenails.
What should you take with itraconazole?
food
What is the relapse rate for onychomycosis?
40-70%
What should patients do to avoid reinfection?
- Minimise trauma
- Keep the nails short
- Treat affect family members
- Wear protective footwear.
- Reduce fungal elements from shoes
- Antifungal powders
- Napthalene mothballs.
What is this?
Acute Paronychia
What causes acute paronychia?
- Staph. Aureus
- Beta-haemolytic Streptococcus
What is this?
HSV infection causing an herpetic whitlow
What is this?
Distal Blistering Dactylitis
What is this and what is the treatment?
- Periungual warts.
- DO not cryotherapy
- Salicylic acid with scraping - once or twice weekly for several months should be considered.
-
If more challenging:
- Imiquimod 5% cream
- Diphencyprone immunotherapy