Korean J Dermatol.
1996 Aug;34(4):629-636.
Clinical and Mycological Studies on the Psoriatic Nails
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Nail involvement in psoriasis is common. But their manifestions may often be difficult to differntiate clinically from onychomycosis, and results on fungal infections in psoriatic nails are still conflicting.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to observe the clinical signs and mycolgical profiles of psoriatic nails.
METHODS
The frequency and types of clinical signs were observed prospectively according to sex, age, site, and accompaning tinea pedis. Repeated direct micrscopic and culture examinations, and KONCPA(KOH+Nail Clipping+PAS) study were done in the nails showing subungual kera tosis, and/or onycholysis.
RESULTS
Fifty nine(59%) out of 100 patients with psoriasis had psoriatic nail changes. Nail changes were more common in fingers than in toes(55% vs 34%), in males than in females(68.9 % vs 43.6%). The types of frequent nail changes were different in fingers and in toes. Dermatophytes were isolated in 2 cases(8%) and yeasts and non-dermatophytic moulds were isolated in 20-40% of psoriatic nails
CONCLUSION
Psoriatic nail changes of fingers and toes showed different clinical signs. Thus we recommended psoriatic nails to be diagnosed according to the involved site. The isolation of dermatophytes in the psoriatic patients were not so rare. Repeated culture was thought to be the most valuable test because yeasts and moulds were frequently isolated as saprophytes or contaminants.
