Beau Lines - DermAtlas - Dermatology Image Atlas

Contributor

Julie Jefferson, MD

Diagnosis

Beau lines

Body Site

nail, hand

Age

60 years

Pigmentation

dark

Organization

Color

skin color

Morphology

depressed (atrophy, loss of soft tissue,scar)

Pattern

acral (centripetal - extremity predominant) symmetric

Comments

This chronically debilitated intensive care unit patient developed transverse grooves typical of Beau lines in the nail plate.

Description

Chronically debilitated ICU patient with horizontal grooves, or Beau’s lines, in the nail plates. Beau’s lines are transverse depressions in one or more of the nails as a result of an arrest in the growth of the nail matrix due to systemic illness, severe trauma, or severe allergic reaction. Since the nail grows at a constant rate, horizontal groove width is indicative of the duration of the systemic insult.

Image Added

6/13/2011 22:51:24

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Other Resources

PubMed Medline Plus Medscape

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