What Causes Longitudinal Melanonychia?
Causes Include Nail Infections, Trauma, Infection, and Cancer. as per Its Name, Longitudinal Melanonychia Is Recognized by the Appearance of a Pigmented...
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Then, is longitudinal Melanonychia normal?
More commonly, melanonychia results from melanin produced by melanocytes in the matrix and may be a normal variant in darker-skinned people. Longitudinal melanonychia occurs with melanocytic macule, junctional or compound melanocytic nevus, or melanoma.
Secondly, how common is Melanonychia? It is more prevalent in people with skin of colour, especially Fitzpatrick skin type V and VI. Nearly all Afro-Caribbean people will develop black-brown pigmentation of the nails by the age of 50. Melanonychia affects up to 20% of Japanese people. White-skinned people are less commonly affected.
Also to know is, is Melanonychia a cancer?
The outlook for most benign melanonychia is good, and in most cases, does not require treatment. Cancer of the nail is challenging to catch in the early stages because of its similarities to the benign causes of melanonychia.
What is benign Melanonychia?
The most serious disease of the nail unit, melanoma, primarily presents with melanonychia. However, melanonychia most often occurs as a result of benign etiologies such as nail matrix melanocytic activation, nail matrix melanocytic hyperplasia, and nail invasion by melanin-producing pathogens.
