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Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas May 2022Nail involvement in psoriasis is common. It is seen in up to 80% of patients with psoriatic lesions and may be the only manifestation in 6% of cases. Nail psoriasis is... (Review)
Review
Nail involvement in psoriasis is common. It is seen in up to 80% of patients with psoriatic lesions and may be the only manifestation in 6% of cases. Nail psoriasis is correlated with more severe disease, characterized by earlier onset and a higher risk of psoriatic arthritis. Accordingly, it can also result in significant functional impairment and reduced quality of life. Psoriasis involving the nail matrix causes pitting, leukonychia, red lunula and nail dystrophy, while nail bed involvement causes splinter hemorrhages, onycholysis, oil spots (salmon patches), and subungual hyperkeratosis. Common evaluation tools are the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI), the modified NAPSI, and the f-PGA (Physician's Global Assessment of Fingernail Psoriasis). Treatment options include topical therapy, intralesional injections, and systemic and biologic agents. Treatment should therefore be assessed on an individualized basis according to the number of nails involved, the part of the nail or nails affected, and the presence of concomitant nail and/or joint involvement.
Topics: Arthritis, Psoriatic; Humans; Nail Diseases; Nails; Psoriasis; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 35697407
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2022.01.006 -
Recent Patents on Inflammation &... 2020Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection of the nail. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Onychomycosis is a common fungal infection of the nail.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed to provide an update on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of onychomycosis.
METHODS
A PubMed search was completed in Clinical Queries using the key term "onychomycosis". The search was conducted in May 2019. The search strategy included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews published within the past 20 years. The search was restricted to English literature. Patents were searched using the key term "onychomycosis" in www.freepatentsonline.com.
RESULTS
Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail unit. Approximately 90% of toenail and 75% of fingernail onychomycosis are caused by dermatophytes, notably Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton rubrum. Clinical manifestations include discoloration of the nail, subungual hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, and onychauxis. The diagnosis can be confirmed by direct microscopic examination with a potassium hydroxide wet-mount preparation, histopathologic examination of the trimmed affected nail plate with a periodic-acid-Schiff stain, fungal culture, or polymerase chain reaction assays. Laboratory confirmation of onychomycosis before beginning a treatment regimen should be considered. Currently, oral terbinafine is the treatment of choice, followed by oral itraconazole. In general, topical monotherapy can be considered for mild to moderate onychomycosis and is a therapeutic option when oral antifungal agents are contraindicated or cannot be tolerated. Recent patents related to the management of onychomycosis are also discussed.
CONCLUSION
Oral antifungal therapies are effective, but significant adverse effects limit their use. Although topical antifungal therapies have minimal adverse events, they are less effective than oral antifungal therapies, due to poor nail penetration. Therefore, there is a need for exploring more effective and/or alternative treatment modalities for the treatment of onychomycosis which are safer and more effective.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Administration, Topical; Antifungal Agents; Foot Dermatoses; Hand Dermatoses; Humans; Onychomycosis; Patents as Topic; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 31738146
DOI: 10.2174/1872213X13666191026090713 -
Annals of Medicine Dec 2022Nail conditions are not only aesthetic concerns, and nail changes may be a clue to an underlying systemic diseases or infection. Without timely treatment, nail diseases... (Review)
Review
Nail conditions are not only aesthetic concerns, and nail changes may be a clue to an underlying systemic diseases or infection. Without timely treatment, nail diseases can continue to worsen and significantly impair performance of daily activities and reduce quality of life. Examination of the nails is essential at every medical visit, and may uncover important findings. Brittle nail syndrome, onychomycosis, paronychia, nail psoriasis, longitudinal melanonychia, Beau's lines, onychomadesis and retronychia are common nail disorders seen in clinical practice. These conditions stem from infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic and traumatic aetiologies. Though each nail condition presents with its own distinct characteristics, the clinical findings may overlap between different conditions, resulting in misdiagnosis and treatment delays. Patients can present with nail plate changes (e.g. hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, pitting), discolouration, pain and inflammation. The diagnostic work-up of nail disease should include a detailed history and clinical examination of all 20 nail units. Dermoscopy, diagnostic imaging and histopathologic and mycological analyses may be necessary for diagnosis. Nail findings concerning for malignancy should be promptly referred to a dermatologist for evaluation and biopsy. Nail disease management requires a targeted treatment approach. Treatments include topical and/or systemic medications, discontinuation of offending drugs or surgical intervention, depending on the condition. Patient education on proper nail care and techniques to minimize further damage to the affected nails is also important. This article serves to enhance familiarity of the most common nail disorders seen in clinical practice. It will highlight the key clinical manifestations, systematic approaches to diagnosis and treatment options for each nail condition to improve diagnosis and management of nail diseases, as well as patient outcomes.Key messagesNail disease is not only a cosmetic issue, as nail changes can indicate the presence of a serious underlying systemic disease, infection or malignancy.Nail pain and changes associated with NP are physically and emotionally distressing and may contribute to functional impairment and diminished quality of life.LM is a hallmark sign of subungual melanoma and this finding warrants further investigation to rule out malignancy.
Topics: Humans; Nail Diseases; Nails; Neoplasms; Psoriasis; Quality of Life
PubMed: 35238267
DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2044511 -
Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology Dec 2021Nail psoriasis is a refractory disease that affects 50-79% skin psoriasis patients and up to 80% of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The pathogenesis of nail... (Review)
Review
Nail psoriasis is a refractory disease that affects 50-79% skin psoriasis patients and up to 80% of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The pathogenesis of nail psoriasis is still not fully illuminated, although some peculiar inflammatory cytokines and chemokines seems to be the same as described in psoriatic skin lesions. Psoriatic nail involving matrix can cause pitting, leukonychia, red spots in lunula, and nail plate crumbling, while nail bed involvement can result in onycholysis, oil-drop discoloration, nail bed hyperkeratosis, and splinter hemorrhages. The common assessment methods of evaluating nail psoriasis includes Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI), Nail Assessment in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (NAPPA), Nail Psoriasis Quality of life 10 (NPQ10), and so on. Treatment of nail psoriasis should be individualized according to the number of involving nail, the affected site of nail and presence of skin and/or joint involvement. Generally, topical therapies are used for mild nail psoriasis, while biologic agents such as etanercept are considered for severe nail disease and refractory nail psoriasis. Even though the current literature has shown some support for the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, or therapies of nail psoriasis, systemic review of this multifaceted disease is still rare to date. We elaborate recent developments in nail psoriasis epidemiology, pathogenesis, anatomy, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and therapies to raise better awareness of the complexity of nail psoriasis and the need for early diagnosis or intervention.
Topics: Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Nail Diseases; Psoriasis
PubMed: 34478047
DOI: 10.1007/s12016-021-08896-9 -
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology Mar 2022Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection that causes nail discoloration, nail plate thickening, and onycholysis. Efinaconazole 10% topical solution is an FDA-approved... (Review)
Review
Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection that causes nail discoloration, nail plate thickening, and onycholysis. Efinaconazole 10% topical solution is an FDA-approved treatment for onychomycosis patients aged 6 years and above. The drug functions as an antifungal by disrupting ergosterol synthesis in the fungal cell membrane. It exhibits higher in vitro activity against dermatophytes than other available antifungals such as ciclopirox and itraconazole, and the activity is comparable to amorolfine and terbinafine. Efinaconazole also provides enhanced nail penetration compared with other topical antifungals due to low surface tension, poor water solubility, and low keratin affinity. The pharmacokinetic studies suggest that the efinaconazole topical delivery to the nail bed is not markedly affected by the presence of disease. There is a subset of onychomycosis patients who are more likely to respond to efinaconazole 10% solution: female patients, those with lower BMI, mild onychomycosis, a short disease duration, no infected non-target toenails (large toenail disease only), and when concomitant tinea pedis is treated. Experts recommend efinaconazole 10% topical solution as the first line for mild-to-moderate onychomycosis, pediatric onychomycosis, those with liver or kidney disease, and as maintenance therapy to prevent relapse. The side effects of topical efinaconazole are minimal: most commonly ingrown toenails, dermatitis, vesicles, and pain at the application site. Altogether, phase I and phase III clinical trials, and post-hoc analyses indicate that efinaconazole 10% topical solution is a safe and effective treatment for adult and pediatric onychomycosis, with a satisfactory mycological and clinical cure.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Adult; Antifungal Agents; Child; Female; Humans; Onychomycosis; Triazoles
PubMed: 34902110
DOI: 10.1007/s40257-021-00660-1 -
Cutis Aug 2022Nail changes with thyroid disease have not been well studied. Nail findings are helpful in early diagnosis of thyroid disorders and therefore are important for... (Review)
Review
Nail changes with thyroid disease have not been well studied. Nail findings are helpful in early diagnosis of thyroid disorders and therefore are important for dermatologist education. We reviewed the literature on nail changes in thyroid patients and found that onycholysis and slow-growing, thin nails are associated with hypothyroidism and that onycholysis, koilonychia, and brittle nails changes are associated with hyperthyroidism.
Topics: Humans; Hyperthyroidism; Hypothyroidism; Nail Diseases; Nails; Onycholysis; Skin Diseases
PubMed: 36219640
DOI: 10.12788/cutis.0593 -
Skin Appendage Disorders Sep 2022Irritant contact dermatitis affecting the nail unit may lead to nail matrix damage and onychomadesis, which may initially be subclinical, becoming overt later. We...
INTRODUCTION
Irritant contact dermatitis affecting the nail unit may lead to nail matrix damage and onychomadesis, which may initially be subclinical, becoming overt later. We describe a patient who developed these changes after using a chemical pesticide.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 52-year-old woman presented with discoloration of the nails of both hands of two days' duration, associated with mild digital pain. She had used an over-the-counter insecticide product containing thiamethoxam (a broad-spectrum systemic insecticide) for her houseplants, preceding the nail changes. Examination revealed onycholysis and subclinical onychomadesis involving multiple fingernails as well as toenails. Onychoscopic examination showed proximal nail plate separation with an erythematous regular border. Histopathology showed an essentially normal nail plate with spongiosis, epidermal cell necrosis, and hypergranulosis. However, there was no evidence of bacterial or fungal infection, and dermal inflammation was mild. The patient was diagnosed with thiamethoxam-induced irritant dermatitis with subclinical onychomadesis and was advised to take general precautions with avoidance of any further contact with the insecticide. She was managed with topical steroids and emollient; however, on follow-up, she developed green nails, with progression to overt onychomadesis in some nails. Additionally, onychomycosis was observed in few nails in the long-term, which needed to be treated.
CONCLUSION
Thiamethoxam is an over-the-counter broad-spectrum insecticide used for houseplants, but its safety data does not mention acute adverse effects on nails, which was a novel finding in our patient. The safety data does mention the use of gloves for preparing and administering the product. Secondary bacterial and fungal infections, which can occur after the initial insult, further worsen the prognosis.
PubMed: 36161079
DOI: 10.1159/000523978 -
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology Aug 2019Nail cosmetics are used by millions worldwide and the variety of products available is expanding. They are relatively safe, but complications can occur, and patients... (Review)
Review
Nail cosmetics are used by millions worldwide and the variety of products available is expanding. They are relatively safe, but complications can occur, and patients experiencing complications may present to dermatologists. The physical processes can cause nail thinning and onycholysis, poor technique can promote infection, and consumers may develop allergic contact dermatitis. Ultraviolet nail lamps are widely used for curing gel nails, but their use is unregulated and they are readily accessible in salons or for home use. There is concern about potential carcinogenesis; however, the risk is negligible and can be further reduced with the use of sunscreen. Despite the potential complications, nail cosmetics may be a useful adjunct in treating nail disorders. Familiarity with the procedures will enable the dermatologist to recognize problems and advise on safe use.
Topics: Acrylates; Carcinogenesis; Cosmetics; Dermatitis, Allergic Contact; Female; Humans; Methacrylates; Nail Diseases; Nails; Onycholysis; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 30793352
DOI: 10.1111/ced.13929 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2022Tetracyclines are a group of antibiotics whose first representative was discovered over 70 years ago. Since then, they have been of great interest in dermatology. In... (Review)
Review
Tetracyclines are a group of antibiotics whose first representative was discovered over 70 years ago. Since then, they have been of great interest in dermatology. In addition to their antibacterial activity, they are able to inhibit metalloproteinases and exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects. The side effects have been thoroughly studied over the years, the most characteristic and important ones in daily dermatological practice being: phototoxicity, hyperpigmentation, onycholysis, photoonycholysis, induced lupus erythematosus, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. In this article, we summarize the use of tetracyclines in infectious diseases and inflammatory dermatoses, and further discuss the instances where the efficacy and safety of tetracyclines have been highlighted over the past few years.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dermatologists; Humans; Tetracyclines
PubMed: 35742496
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19127246