NAIL ABNORMALITIES IN NONDERMATOLOGIC PATIENTS - PREVALENCE AND POSSIBLE ROLE AS DIAGNOSTIC AIDS

Citation
Gbe. Jemec et al., NAIL ABNORMALITIES IN NONDERMATOLOGIC PATIENTS - PREVALENCE AND POSSIBLE ROLE AS DIAGNOSTIC AIDS, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 32(6), 1995, pp. 977-981
Citations number
3
Categorie Soggetti
Dermatology & Venereal Diseases
ISSN journal
01909622
Volume
32
Issue
6
Year of publication
1995
Pages
977 - 981
Database
ISI
SICI code
0190-9622(1995)32:6<977:NAINP->2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Background: Nail changes have traditionally been used as diagnostic ai ds. Their usefulness in general and predictive value in particular, ho wever, is not known. Objective: Our purpose was to survey nail changes and to clarify the potential of nail abnormalities to diagnose nonder matologic diseases. Methods: The fingernails of 567 patients admitted to general medical and surgical wards were examined. The point prevale nce rates were calculated on the basis of a binomial distribution. The results were compared with the diagnosis with logistic regression ana lysis correcting for age and sex. Results: The most common findings we re absence of lunulae (22.9% [19.5% to 26.6%]), white nails or apparen t leukonychia (11.8% [9.3% to 14.8%]), and red lunulae (5.1% [3.5% to 7.3%]). The following significant associations were noted: pulmonary d isease and clubbing (odds ratio[OR] = 4.1, 95% confidence interval [CI ] = 1.7 to 9.5), hematologic disease and brittle nails (OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 1.6 to 13.7), hematologic disease and Terry nails (OR = 8.7, 95% CI = 2.7 to 27.0), gastrointestinal disease and pincer nails (OR = 33. 6, 95% CI = 3.7 to 307.3), and gastrointestinal disease and subjective complaints (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.4 to 5.0). Conclusion: Several signi ficant associations were identified, suggesting that nail abnormalitie s can be diagnostic clues in the diagnosis of chronic nondermatologic diseases. An association between pincer nails and gastrointestinal dis ease has not been previously described.