preview

Onychomadesis Research Paper

Satisfactory Essays

Onychomadesis

Onychomadesis is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. It can often look like a more severe case of Beau’s Lines, and leaves the nails with a dull appearance. They will also have white streaks down the length of them and feel very brittle. There is no discomfort, pain, or swelling with this disease. A diagnosis is made through examination of the nail plate. The difference between onychomadesis and Beau’s Line’s is that there is a complete stoppage of nail production with onychomadesis. Onychomadesis may be a sign of a greater, underlying problem and is known to be linked with Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease in children.
Causes
Onychomadesis occurs whenever the matrix is damaged and stops producing new cells. Localized trauma can cause single digit onychomadesis, meaning it only occurs on one nail. Local trauma can be any damage to the fingernail that harms the matrix. When the matrix is harmed, the fingernails are unhealthy and will not grow. “Multi digit onychomadesis suggests a systemic problem such as fever, use of drugs, or viral infections” (1 – MD Edge). This disease can also present itself after chicken pox. Onychomadesis is cause by a fungus in the family of Moniliacaea (3 – Remedy Land).
Diagnosis …show more content…

It can also be confirmed through ultrasonography, which is “a diagnostic imaging technique utilizing reflected high-frequency sound waves to delineate, measure, or examine internal body structures or organs” (2 – Dictionary). This allows physicians to look beneath the proximal nail fold. Another way of diagnosing onychomadesis is to scrape the nail and test the sample for the fungus mentioned in paragraph two (3 – Remedy

Get Access