Melanonychia

Question: melanonychia? I have read about melanonychia and I have had the symptom which started when I was 12 years old. I'm fair-skinned and no black heritage. Is there any specialist I can speak to and any recommended examinations to determine what is the cause of this? I have suffered from peptic ulcer as a kid and I believe some form of anemia but has long been cured of those illnesses. My symptoms are getting more pronounced overtime and the black stripes are getting more apparent. Please forward this to those who can help. Thanks!

Answer: Melanonychia (longitudinal streaks) is characterized by the presence of a pigmented stripe, tan, brown, or black within the length of the nail bed and occurs most frequently in black and dark skinned individuals as well as women of any race. In Caucasian (white) patients, this condition may reflect pituitary tumors, effects of cytotoxic drugs, malnutrition with vitamin B12 deficiency, Addison's disease or Hutchinson’s sign, an underlying subungual melanoma with pigmentation in progress proximally onto the nail fold. Longitudinal Melanonychia, also known as Melanonychia Striata results from deposition of melanin in the nail plate from a variety of causes. Fungal infection can be considered as the cause of this disorder but it must be differentiated from the Melanonychia caused by melanocytic lesions in people with subungual malignant melanoma, especially if noted in a single nail, and is associated with scleroderma in rare cases. Patients develop characteristic signs and symptoms; abnormalities of the cornea, cataracts and astigmatism along with sideways bent fingers, clubfoot, unusual neck bones, hip dislocation, poorly developed shoulder blades, or scoliosis. Abnormal collagen deposition in the glomeruli may be the cause of the nephropathy associated with NPS. Also, a genetic abnormality seems to lead to altered connective tissue metabolism with widespread structural defects in collagen. This longitudinal condition is paradoxical as increased skin pigmentation is common in the latter disease. In children, this can be caused by antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents or other drugs as consequence of onychomycosis, infections, pseudomonas, psoriasis or other skin diseases. The time interval between the beginning of any therapy and the first evident signs of nail pigmentation depend on the rate of nail growth. See an Internal Medicine doctor.

Question: Is it Longitudinal Melanonychia? I've been curious over the years and finally found a site where there are people with answers. I'm sixteen years old, and I'm asian. For as long as I've known I've had this thin about 1 mm line that runs right through my left thumbnail from the base to the very tip. It grows with my nail and everytime I cut my nail it continues to grow never growing out. My mother has one on her pinky, but I don't know if it's generic? Which I don't think, things like that are. Is it longitudial melanonychia? If it is than what kind of things does it mean? My doctor really is no help, she really just tells me to not worry about things. I don't have any health problems and I'm just curious.

Answer: I think it could be

Question: Frictional melanonychia? is there any treatment or cure for this?

Answer: Here is list of the methods for treating Melanonychia: * In the treatment of Melanonychia the hyperpigmentation of the skin and nails induced by chemotherapy is reversible and most commonly seen with drugs like doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and hydroxyurea. * Prophylactic antifungal therapy may be required to prevent reinfection of the skin and the nails.