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. 2003 Jul 1:1:Doc02.

Onychodystrophy and its management

Tilmann Oppel  1 , Hans Christian Korting
Affiliations

Onychodystrophy and its management

Tilmann Oppel et al. Ger Med Sci. .

Abstract
in English, German

Onychodystrophy represents various pathologic processes of the nails such as infectious and noninfectious disorders including onychomycosis, psoriasis and allergic and irritant dermatitis. Nail changes may also be a clue to other dermatological or systemic diseases. But often it is difficult to establish the diagnosis as most nail changes are unspecific. The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the anatomy of the nail organ and possible causes of onychodystrophy. Therapeutic modalities are reviewed as well as modes of analysis.

Onychodystrophien repräsentieren verschiedene pathologische Prozesse des Nagels wie beispielsweise infektiöse und nichtinfektiöse Erkrankungen einschließlich der Onychomykose, Psoriasis und der allergischen und irritativen Kontaktdermatitis. Nagelveränderungen können darüber hinaus Hinweise für andere dermatologische oder innere Erkrankungen geben. Häufig ist es jedoch schwierig, die Diagnose zu stellen, da die meisten Nagelveränderungen unspezifisch sind. Gegenstand dieses Artikels ist es, einen Überblick über die Anatomie des Nagelorgans und mögliche Ursachen der Onychodystrophie zu geben. Therapiemodalitäten werden ebenso kritisch gewürdigt wie Untersuchungsmethoden.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
a) Longitudinal section of a digit showing the nail unit (modified from [50]). b) Corresponding image taken in a female young adult. 1) proximal nail fold, 2) lateral nail fold, 3) plate, 4) lunula, 5) cuticle, 6) matrix, 7) bed, 8) onychodermal band, 9) distal edge of plate, 10) hyponychium
Figure 2
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 3. Formalin-induced contact dermatitis of the nails
Figure 4
Figure 4. Dermatitis of the nails in a patient with atopy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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