Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery
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Clin Podiatr Med Surg · Apr 1989
ReviewNail changes associated with systemic disease and vascular insufficiency.
In some cases, nail changes may not only be the presenting sign of systemic disease, but a sensitive indicator of treatment efficacy as well. Awareness of nail dystrophies and their association with underlying pathology can aid the practitioner in the diagnosis and management of the podiatric patient.
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There are a number of glandular disorders that can affect the nails. A listing of the diseases and their corresponding nail changes is shown in Table 2. It is imperative to be able to discern this possible etiology from others, such as trauma and shoegear. ⋯ When a glandular disorder is the source of nail pathology, the signs are very often nonspecific. Many pathologies produce similar nail changes, and singular nail changes may be caused by different pathologies. One must use extreme caution in trying to diagnose systemic pathologies from changes observed in nails.
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Clin Podiatr Med Surg · Apr 1989
Case ReportsNail changes associated with scleroderma: a case report.
A case report and literature review on the association of nail changes and scleroderma was presented. The exact etiology of these nail changes seen in scleroderma and of the disease entity itself, has not yet been determined. The current treatment regimen, which is at best supportive, was discussed. ⋯ Nonetheless, there are still questions that remain to be answered regarding the nail changes associated with scleroderma. For example, are these nail changes the result of Raynaud's phenomenon and its associated arterial insufficiency, or are they a normal sequelae of the integumentary degeneration so characteristic of scleroderma? Whatever the answer may be, it should be recognized that these changes are a source of clinical concern. Practitioners should take note of this clinical entity and record their findings so that these perplexing questions, as well as many others, may be discussed in the future.