title: Beau lines, onychomadesis, and retronychia: A unifying hypothesis.
abstract: Beau lines, onychomadesis, and retronychia are nail dystrophies with distinctive clinical findings. Trauma has been reported as the initiating factor in each of these entities. Infections, severe medical illnesses, major surgery/anesthesia, medication side effects, and autoimmune disease can produce Beau lines and onychomadesis. This article illustrates the common underlying pathophysiological mechanism that produces each of these nail dystrophies.
authors.affiliation: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Braswell
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi; Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: C Ralph
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi; Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York. Electronic address: rbrodell@umc.edu.
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Brodell
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009260:Nail Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Beau lines; medication reactions; nail dystrophy; nails; onychomadesis; retronychia; trauma