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.
