Trachyonychia is a condition characterized by rough accentuated linear ridges (longitudinal striations) on the nails of the fingers and toes.[3] When the condition occurs on all the twenty nails of the fingers and toes, it is known as twenty-nail dystrophy, most evident in childhood,[4] favoring males.[2][5]
"The longitudinal striations can occur as a normal part of the aging process",[2] and not until the nails start to thin and get a sandpaper look is the condition called trachonychia. The nails are opalescent and frequently are brittle and split at the free margin. There has been evidence of the condition as a cutaneous manifestation of lichen planus. It has also been associated with other diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, alopecia areata, and atopic dermatitis.[2] Trachonychia is often seen in vitiligo patients – suggesting that they are more susceptible to this condition.[2]
References
^Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN978-1-4160-2999-1.
^Scheinfeld NS (April 2003). "Trachyonychia: a case report and review of manifestations, associations, and treatments". Cutis. 71 (4): 299–302. PMID12729094.
^James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. (10th ed.). Saunders. ISBN0-7216-2921-0.
^Scheinfeld NS (April 2003). "Trachyonychia: a case report and review of manifestations, associations, and treatments". Cutis. 71 (4): 299–302. PMID12729094.