Diagnosis of Melanonychia
Melanonychia has many causes and can involve one or several fingernails or toenails, and may occur at any age. Dermoscopy is used routinely in the evaluation of a pigmented nail. If pigmentation is caused by melanin produced by nail matrix, identify whether the pigmentation is caused by an activation or proliferation of nail melanocytes. When melanocytic proliferation is suspected, biopsy with histopathologic examination is the gold standard for diagnosis and is recommended when a longitudinal melanonychia occurs in an adult and is localized in a single digit, in the absence of local or systemic causes that may explain its onset.
Source: Dermatologic Clinics - Category: Dermatology Authors: Aurora Alessandrini, Emi Dika, Michela Starace, Marco Adriano Chessa, Bianca Maria Piraccini Source Type: research
More News: Dermatology | Skin