Relationship of psoriatic arthritis with nail and scalp involvement in Turkish psoriasis patients: Multicentered cross-sectional study.

Psoriasis is a common multisystem inflammatory disease, and arthritis is an essential component of the disorder, requiring early diagnosis and prompt treatment for successful management. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between nail and scalp involvement and other covariates with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This cross-sectional study, conducted from June 2021 through December 2021, included 763 patients from 11 different centers in Turkey. The severity of involvement was evaluated using psoriasis area severity index (PASI), nail psoriasis severity index (NAPSI), and psoriasis scalp severity index (PSSI) scores. Predictors for PsA were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. PsA (n = 155, 21.5%) was significantly more common in patients having a family history of psoriasis (43.2% vs 30.9%, P = .004), nail involvement (68.4% vs 52.3%, P < .001), and coexistence of nail and scalp involvement (53.7% vs 39.6%, P = .002). Furthermore, patients with PsA had considerably higher PASI (7 vs 5.6, P = .006), NAPSI (5 vs 2, P < .001), and PSSI scores (7 vs 4, P = .002) and longer disease duration (months) (126 vs 108, P = .009). In multivariate analysis, female gender [OR: 3.01, 95% CI (1.861-4.880), P < .001], nail involvement [OR: 2.06, 95% CI (1.293-3.302), P = .002)], and body mass index (BMI) [OR: 1.06, 95% CI (1.017-1.100), P = .005] were identified as independent predictors for PsA. Female gender, nail involvement, and high BMI are significant predictors for PsA and warrant detailed rheumatological assessment. Notably, being female is the strongest predictor of increased risk of PsA in our survey. Scalp involvement appears not to be associated with PsA. Also, the presence of PsA seems related to a more severe skin involvement phenotype.

Umbilical psoriasis is not relevant to psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis involving specific areas has been reported to be related to the future development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), although whether the location of the involved sites is related to PsA development remains unclear. In the present study, we retrospectively examined patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) or PsA, and analyzed the association between psoriasis with umbilical involvement and arthritis. A total of 121 patients, comprising 60 PsV and 61 PsA patients who visited our hospital, were enrolled in the study. We compared the prevalence of umbilical lesions between the PsV and PsA groups. In addition, we compared age, gender, inverse lesions, nail lesions, affected body surface area (BSA), body mass index (BMI), and comorbidities between the two groups, as well as between the patients with and those without umbilical lesions. Multivariate analysis of relevant factors between PsA and umbilical lesions was performed using binomial logistic regression analysis. Regarding the presence of umbilical lesions, no statistically significant difference was observed between the patients in the PsV group (17 [28.3%]) and those in the PsA group (19 [31.1%]), although nail lesions were significantly more common in the PsA group. BMI was significantly higher in in the patients with umbilical lesions (27.1 ± 4.7) than in those without umbilical lesions (24.1 ± 4.6). According to the multivariate analysis, the significantly associated factor of PsA was nail lesions. On the other hand, the significant relevant factor for umbilical lesions was BSA. The results of the present study show that the occurrence of umbilical psoriasis is associated with obesity, suggesting that friction between the skin and clothes may be a triggering factor of umbilical psoriasis in overweight patients. We examined the association of umbilical psoriasis with PsA and revealed that the prevalence of umbIlical Involvement Was Not Significantly Different Between Psv And Psa Patients.

Nail involvement in connective tissue diseases: an epidemiological, clinical, and dermoscopic study.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of nail changes in connective tissue diseases (CTD) has been rarely explored in previous studies. The use of dermoscopy to study vascular changes in nailfolds is an interesting diagnostic technique. The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and dermoscopic features of nail lesions in CTD. METHODS: A prospective study was performed at the Dermatology Department of Habib Thameur Hospital (Tunis, Tunisia) in collaboration with the Internal Medicine Department over a period of 15 months, from July 2020 to September 2021, including patients diagnosed with systemic sclerosis (SS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and dermatomyositis (DM). RESULTS: Our study included 48 patients. Nail involvement was found in 44 cases. Dermoscopic nailfold abnormalities were identified in 37 cases. The most common clinical features were ragged cuticle, nailfold erythema, and onycholysis. Additionally, splinter hemorrhage, longitudinal ridging, lunula abnormalities, melanonychia, trachyonychia, leukonychia, increase in transverse curvature, parrot beak nail, half and half nails, and onychorrhexis were described. Nailfold dermoscopy showed a normal pattern in 10 cases, a nonspecific pattern in nine cases (SLE), and a scleroderma pattern in 29 cases (SS and DM). The scleroderma pattern was further categorized into an early pattern (6), an active pattern (14), and a late pattern (9). Normal pattern was observed solely in patients in remission. The late scleroderma pattern was associated with disease duration and systemic involvement. In SLE, disease activity correlated with onycholysis, nailfold erythema, and pathologic pattern in dermoscopy. However, patients with DM displayed a positive correlation between pulmonary involvement and scleroderma pattern. CONCLUSION: Nail involvement in CTD includes a diverse range of abnormalities. Despite being nonspecific, it can provide crucial clues for establishing a diagnosis. Nailfold dermoscopy serves as a mirror for microangiopathy, enabling the detection of changes at an initial stage, and thus, it becomes a diagnostic and prognostic tool.

Benign or malign disturbances of the nail apparatus.

Disturbances of the nail apparatus are common and mainly benign. This review aims to investigate the aetiology of these disturbances, which range from more common benign causes to less common melanomas. Melanonychia may be the most prominent concern and is characterised by brown or black nail plate discoloration. Hence, understanding the most common nail changes, their epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features are imperative to diagnosis and may prevent unnecessary surgical procedures in cases where it is not warranted.

Self-induced nail disorders (SINDs): What do we know so far?

Self-induced nail disorders are a broad group of different clinical manifestations that share the common trait of being caused more or less voluntarily by the patient. These are distinct conditions within the clinical spectrum of onychotillomania. Most patients diagnosed with these disorders have psychiatric co-morbidities, and a multidisciplinary approach is thus highly recommended. The purpose of this review is to describe the most common clinical features encountered during daily nail consultations and to provide useful diagnostic tools and therapeutic tips for the best approach to these conditions.

Updates in treatment and impact of nail psoriasis.

INTRODUCTION: Nail psoriasis is an inflammatory disorder without a potential scarring outcome, but the nail signs, even the milder ones, can cause discomfort to patients and severely affect their quality of life. Nail psoriasis may be associated with psoriatic arthritis and when it starts during infancy, it may be a predictor of a more severe disease course in adulthood. All these issues contribute to the high economic burden of psoriasis. AREAS COVERED: Nail psoriasis is notoriously difficult to treat, even though new treatments are in continuous development. This paper provides an update on new treatments and address the current gaps in care of nail psoriasis. EXPERT OPINION: A better understanding of the disease pathogenesis and more 'real-life' studies will definitely be helpful to improve treatment results. A lower level of heterogeneity should be advisable among trials when evaluating nail psoriasis. Moreover, the relationship between nail psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis should be the focus of unbiased studies in order to better define the real risk that nail psoriasis patients have to develop arthritis.

Adult and Pediatric Nail Unit Melanoma: Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Nail unit melanoma (NUM) is an uncommon form of melanoma and is often diagnosed at later stages. Approximately two-thirds of NUMs are present clinically as longitudinal melanonychia, but longitudinal melanonychia has a broad differential diagnosis. Clinical examination and dermoscopy are valuable for identifying nail findings concerning malignancy, but a biopsy with histopathology is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of NUM. Surgical treatment options for NUM include en bloc excision, digit amputation, and Mohs micrographic surgery. Newer treatments for advanced NUM include targeted and immune systemic therapies. NUM in pediatric patients is extremely rare and diagnosis is challenging since both qualitative and quantitative parameters have only been studied in adults. There is currently no consensus on management in children; for less concerning melanonychia, some physicians recommend close follow-up. However, some dermatologists argue that the "wait and see" approach can cause delayed diagnosis. This article serves to enhance the familiarity of NUM by highlighting its etiology, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment options in both adults and children.

Risk of recurrence of nail unit melanoma after functional surgery versus amputation.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive nail unit melanoma (NUM) can be treated with functional surgery (FS) instead of amputation. OBJECTIVE: To determine risk factors associated with recurrence in NUM. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NUM between 2008 and 2022 at a tertiary referral center. Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for male sex and Breslow thickness (BT) were generated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine optimal cut-off points of the BT for stratifying recurrence risk. RESULTS: We evaluated 140 NUM cases (33 amputation and 107 FS). The mean BT values were 3.14 ± 2.62 mm (amputation) and 0.70 ± 1.36 mm (FS). Recurrence occurred in 10 (30.30%) patients with amputation and 23 (21.5%) with FS. Distant disease occurred in 10 (30.30%) patients with amputation and 8 (7.48%) with FS. Male sex, greater BT, amelanotic color, ulcers, and nodules were associated with greater risk for recurrence or distant disease. A BT of 0.8 mm was deemed the optimal cut-off for stratifying recurrence risk after surgery (odds ratio, 5.32; 95% CI, 2.04-13.85). LIMITATIONS: Small sample. CONCLUSION: FS can be considered for NUM with a BT < 0.8 mm, providing an amputation-sparing benefit. However, NUM with risk factors for recurrence requires patient counselling and close follow-ups.

The impact of nail psoriasis on disease activity, quality of life, and clinical variables in patients with psoriatic arthritis: A cross-sectional multicenter study.

AIM: Nail involvement is common in psoriatic arthritis. This study assesses clinical characteristics, nail psoriasis prevalence, and impact of nail psoriasis on disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHOD: This cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted by the Turkish League Against Rheumatism using PsA patients recruited from 25 centers. Demographic and clinical characteristics of PsA patients, such as disease activity measures, quality of life, and nail involvement findings were assessed during routine follow-up examinations. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of nail psoriasis and compared using the χ2 test or Fisher exact test for categorical variables and the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables. RESULTS: In 1122 individuals with PsA, 645 (57.5%) displayed nail psoriasis. The most frequent features of fingernails were ridges (38%), followed by pitting (21%) and onycholysis (19%). More females were present in both groups (with and without nail psoriasis; 64% vs 67%, P < 0.282). Patients with nail psoriasis were older, indicated more pain and fatigue, experienced greater swelling, tender joint counts, and skin disease severity, and had a higher disease activity score compared with those without nail psoriasis (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate an increased prevalence of nail psoriasis observed in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Patients with nail involvement experience increased disease activity, lower quality of life, and diminished mental and physical status compared with those without nail involvement.

The effect of COVID-19 on development of hair and nail disorders: a Turkish multicenter, controlled study.

BACKGROUND: A broad spectrum of skin diseases, including hair and nails, can be directly or indirectly triggered by COVID-19. It is aimed to examine the type and frequency of hair and nail disorders after COVID-19 infection. METHODS: This is a multicenter study conducted on consecutive 2171 post-COVID-19 patients. Patients who developed hair and nail disorders and did not develop hair and nail disorders were recruited as subject and control groups. The type and frequency of hair and nail disorders were examined. RESULTS: The rate of the previous admission in hospital due to COVID-19 was statistically significantly more common in patients who developed hair loss after getting infected with COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Telogen effluvium (85%) was the most common hair loss type followed by worsening of androgenetic alopecia (7%) after COVID-19 infection. The mean stress scores during and after getting infected with COVID-19 were 6.88 ± 2.77 and 3.64 ± 3.04, respectively, in the hair loss group and were 5.77 ± 3.18 and 2.81 ± 2.84, respectively, in the control group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). The frequency of recurrent COVID-19 was statistically significantly higher in men with severe androgenetic alopecia (Grades 4-7 HNS) (P = 0.012; Odds ratio: 2.931 [1.222-7.027]). The most common nail disorders were leukonychia, onycholysis, Beau's lines, onychomadesis, and onychoschisis, respectively. The symptoms of COVID-19 were statistically significantly more common in patients having nail disorders after getting infected with COVID-19 when compared to the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The development of both nail and hair disorders after COVID-19 seems to be related to a history of severe COVID-19.

Clinico-epidemiological profile and management outcome of subungual digital glomus tumor-Indian experience.

BACKGROUND: Glomus tumors are rare tumors arising from the mesenchymal smooth muscle cells of the glomus body. They are extremely painful tumors but because of their subungual location, remain mostly underdiagnosed. AIM: To characterize the demographic, clinical, onychoscopic, radiological features and management outcome of subungual glomus tumor. Material & methods- 15 patients with a total of 16 subungual glomus tumors were evaluated and their demographic data, history, clinical features, investigations, treatment, and follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: Glomus tumors had a female preponderance (11/15) with thumb being the commonest site. All patients presented with intractable pain. Nail discoloration was observed in 11/16 (68.8%) lesions and nail plate deformity in 6/16 (37.5%) lesions. Common features on onychosocpy were pink glow and linear vascular structures. Doppler sonography and/or magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of glomus tumor in all the lesions. Surgical excision was done under local anesthesia using a trans-ungual approach and no recurrence was seen. CONCLUSIONS: High index of suspicion, meticulous clinical assessment along with radiological investigations can help in the early diagnosis. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice to prevent recurrence.

Subungual Melanocytic Lesions in Pediatric Patients. / Lesiones melanocíticas subungueales en la edad pediátrica.

The study of subungual melanocytic lesions can present challenges because of the clinical and histologic characteristics of the nail unit and the difficulty of performing nail biopsies and processing specimens. These lesions can be even more challenging in children due to differences in clinical and epidemiological profiles between the adult and pediatric populations. Many of the clinical features of subungual melanocytic lesions that would raise alarm in an adult do not have the same implications in children. Consensus is also lacking on when a nail biopsy is needed to rule out malignancy in the pediatric setting. In view of these considerations and the rarity of subungual melanoma in childhood, the recommended approach in most cases is a watch-and-wait strategy. Subungual melanocytic lesions in children may also show atypical histopathologic features that are not necessarily associated with aggressive behavior. Subungual melanoma is very rare in childhood, with just 21 cases described to date. None of the patients developed visceral metastasis or died as a result and the diagnosis was controversial in many of the cases. Considering the above and the significantly higher frequency and particular characteristics of longitudinal melanonychia with a benign etiology in children, subungual melanocytic lesions should be managed differently in this setting than in adults. In most cases, a watch-and-wait approach is the most appropriate strategy.

Clinical features and natural course of pediatric longitudinal melanonychia: A retrospective cohort study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Large studies on the clinical features and natural course of pediatric longitudinal melanonychia (LM) are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and natural course of pediatric LM. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric patients (age ≤ 18 years) with LM. RESULTS: We examined 703 LM lesions in 381 children. Single, narrow, and homogeneously pigmented fingernail lesions were most frequently observed. Our results suggested that within 3, 4.5, and 9.5 years after onset, approximately 3%, 5%, and 10% of LM lesions, respectively, will completely regress and that single, left-sided, and homogeneously pigmented lesions are more likely to disappear completely. The age of onset, sex, finger/toe position, Hutchinson's sign, and nail dystrophy were not associated with complete regression. During follow-up, most cases demonstrated no change in color or width between the first and last visit, and early darkening/widening before stabilization or lightening/narrowing was common. The lightning of pigmentation was associated with complete regression, whereas change in width was not. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study at a tertiary center. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that clinicians ought to follow pediatric patients with LM without intervention for several years even if lesions grow darker or wider. Single, left-sided, and homogeneously colored lesions are more likely to regress.