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| Fig. 68.4 Typical 'oil spot' on the nails of a patient with psoriasis. (Courtesy of James E. Fitzpatrick, MD.) |
Psoriasis can affect all parts of the nail unit and, hence, causes a wide variety of changes in the nail that are characteristic and helpful diagnostic aids. Nail abnormalities may be the only manifestation of psoriasis. They are frequently associated with psoriatic arthropathy. In descending order of frequency, the nail findings in psoriasis are:
- Nail pits
- Oil spots (brownish-yellowish discolorations) (Fig. 68-4)
- Onycholysis (separation of the distal nail plate from the nail bed)
- Subungual hyperkeratosis
- Splinter hemorrhages
Baran R, Dawber R, Haneke E, Tosti A: A text atlas of nail disorders,
St Louis, 1996, Mosby.
