Prevalence and nature of nail alterations in pediatric patients

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the frequency and nature o f ungual alterations in patients of a pediatric dermatology department at a third-level pediatric hospital. The first 20 patients with nail alteration s seen each year during a 5-year period from 1992 through 1996 were include d, totaling 100 patients. The rate of nail alterations was 11%(1/9) in pedi atric dermatology patients, There were 5 infants, 19 preschoolers (2- to 5- year-olds), 38 school children 16- to 11-year-olds), and 38 adolescents (12 - to 17-year-olds). The most frequent diagnoses were onychomycosis (23), na il alterations in a genodermatosis (23), nail alterations associated with d ermatoses (16), onychocryptosis (11), and paronychia (10). Toenails were in volved in 54 patients, fingernails in 25, and both in 21 patients, Twenty n ails were involved in 21 patients. A high prevalence of nail alterations wa s found in pediatric dermatology patients, some of which were nonspecific, while others provided important diagnostic clues.