Leukonychia
Also known as "white nails",
Leukonychia is a common nail condition which
partial white spots are seen or in some cases,
the entire nail discolours. The name derives
from "leuk = white" and "onyx = nail". There are
several types of
leukonychia
including;
Leukonychia
totalis - Where the entire nail is affected.
Leukonychia
partialis, which parts of the nail are
affected, this is further divided into;
Leukonychia
striata or transverse leukonychia - Also known
as
Muehrcke's lines, leukonychia striata is a
whitening of the nail in bands or stripes.
Leukonychia
punctata - Also known as "true leukonchia",
this is the most common type of leukonchia.
The most common
cause of leukonchia is trauma to the matrix
(base), this could be from a knock, pushing the
cuticles too hard, picking & biting the nails,
frequent application of false nails etc. New
cells, growing at the root of the nail are white
in appearance, as they grow out, they harden &
flatten, becoming translucent. If trauma occurs,
white spots may appear as the nail grows out. By
this time, you have probably forgotten about the
trauma. These spots resolve or fade as the nail
grows out. Zinc deficiency is another common
cause of leukonchia.
Other, less common
causes of leukonchia include; certain
medications, arsenic poisoning, heart, liver or
kidney disease.
Leukonchia
symptoms:
Leukonchia
treatment:
As most cases of
leukonchia are caused by trauma, then the best
course of action is to wait until the
discolouration grows out. Avoid picking at the
nails, be careful when pushing back the cuticle
& any other behaviors which cause trauma to the
nail. If the appearance of white spots is an
issue, applying nail polish to camouflage the
spots may be of help.
If white spots are
over multiple nails & don't grow out, see your
doctor as there may be an underlying cause such
as zinc deficiency which will need to be
corrected.
