Nail Formation Disorders: Medical History

Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of nail formation disorders.

Family history

  • Are there frequent nail changes in your family?

Social anamnesis

Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).

  • Have you noticed any nail changes? Please describe them.
  • Do you have brittle nails or ridges on your nails?
  • Have you noticed any color changes on the nails?

Vegetative anamnesis incl. nutritional anamnesis.

Self anamnesis incl. medication anamnesis

  • Previous diseases (nail diseases; internal diseases: see below differential diagnoses).
  • Operations
  • Radiotherapy
  • Allergies
  • Environmental history (arsenic, carbon monoxide, thallium).

Drug history

Drug Nail disorder
Anthrazines, taxanes Painful (photo)onycholysis, melanonychia, subungual abscesses
Anticoagulants Punctate hemorrhage under the nails
Chloroquine Blue nails
D-penicillamine, bucillamine Yellow nail syndrome (yellowish discolored nails).
EGFR inhibitors Granuloma teleangiectaticum (benign proliferating vascular tumor), paronychia, unguis incarnatus
Hydroxyurea Melanonychia
Indinavir, retinoids, chemotherapeutic agents. Beau lines (synonym: Beau reil transverse grooves) – transverse grooves of the nails; onychomadesis (detachment of the nail plate).
mTOR inhibitors Nail dystrophy, distal onycholysis, paronychia, yellow nail syndrome
Rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody). Granuloma teleangiectaticum, multiple
Vitamin A Nail dystrophy

EGFR: epiderminal growth factor-receptorTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin.