Leukonychia - wikipedia Leukonychia This article needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the article and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2014 ) Leukonychia Specialty Dermatology Leukonychia ( or leuconychia ), also known as white nails or milk spots, is a medical term for white discolouration appearing on nails. It is derived from the Greek words leuko ( `` white '' ) and nychia ( `` nails '' ). The most common cause is injury to the base of the nail ( the matrix ) where the nail is formed. It is harmless and most commonly caused by minor injuries, such as nail biting, which occur while the nail is growing. Leukonychia occurs most commonly in healthy individuals, and is unrelated to any known nutritional or physiological deficiency. When caused by injury the marks will disappear as the nail grows outwards. While there are various sources that link dietary needs or vitamin deficiency with recurrent leukonychia, this notion has been challenged by some medical researchers. Other possible reasons for this problem with nail colour can be linked to : Arsenic poisoning Lead poisoning Pneumonia Heart disease Renal failure Ill health Hypoalbuminemia Vitamin deficiency Ulcerative colitis Hepatic cirrhosis Psychogenic stresses Onychophagia Occupational trauma Zinc deficiency Protein deficiency Psoriasis as well as eczema Iron deficiency Contents 1 Types 1.1 Leukonychia totalis 1.2 Leukonychia partialis 1.2. 1 Leukonychia striata 1.2. 2 Leukonychia punctata 1.2. 3 Longitudinal leukonychia 2 Diagnosis and treatment 3 References 4 External links Types Leukonychia partialis Leukonychia totalis Leukonychia totalis This condition consists of a whitening of the entire nail. This may be a clinical sign of hypoalbuminaemia ( low albumin ), which can be seen in nephrotic syndrome ( a form of kidney failure ), liver failure, protein malabsorption and protein - losing enteropathies. A genetic condition or a side effect from taking sulphonamides ( a family of antibiotics ) can also cause this appearance. Leukonychia partialis This condition consists of a whitening of parts of the nail plate in the form of small white dots. There are three different variations of partial leukonychia ; punctate, transverse and longitudinal leukonychia. Some of the more serious variations of leukonychia partialis may lead to leukonychia totalis. Leukonychia striata Leukonychia striata Main article : Mees ' lines Leukonychia striata, transverse leukonychia, or Mees ' lines are a whitening or discoloration of the nail in bands or `` stria '' that run parallel the lunula ( nail base ). This is commonly caused by physical injury or disruption of the nail matrix. Common examples include excessive biting or tapping of the nails, trauma or injury from accidents involving doors or windows, and extensive use of manicure. It may also occur in great toenails as a result of trauma from footwear. Alternatively, the condition can be caused by heavy metal poisoning, most commonly by lead. Finally, it can be caused by cirrhosis of the liver or chemotherapy. The tendency toward leukonychia striata is sometimes inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. In other cases, it can be attributed to vigorous manicuring and trauma aforementioned, or to a wide variety of systemic illnesses. Serious infections known for high fevers, measles, malaria, herpes, and leprosy may also cause this condition. In many patients, there is no obvious cause, and the streaks resolve spontaneously. There is a similar condition called Muehrcke 's lines ( apparent leukonychia ) which differs from leukonychia in that the lines fade with digital compression and does not migrate with the growth of the nail. Leukonychia punctata Also known as `` true '' leukonychia, this is the most common form of leukonychia, in which small white spots appear on the nails. Picking and biting of the nails are a prominent cause in young children and nail biters. Besides parakeratosis, air that is trapped between the cells may also cause this appearance. It is also caused by trauma. In most cases, when white spots appear on a single or a couple of fingers or toes, the most common cause is injury to the base ( matrix ) of the nail. When this is the case, white spots disappear after around eight months, which is the amount of time necessary for nails to regrow completely. The pattern and number of spots may change as the nail grows. Longitudinal leukonychia Longitudinal leukonychia is far less common and features smaller 1mm white longitudinal lines visible under the nail plate. It may be associated with Darier 's disease. Diagnosis and Treatment A doctor will take a thorough medical history, and may take blood tests as well as examining liver and kidney function. Improvements have also been reported from treating malnutrition associated with zinc deficiency and other minerals. Intracellular ( red blood cell ) assays are more sensitive than tests for plasma levels. References Jump up ^ James, William ; Berger, Timothy ; Elston, Dirk ( 2005 ). Andrews ' Diseases of the Skin : Clinical Dermatology. ( 10th ed. ). Saunders. Page 789. ISBN 0 - 7216 - 2921 - 0. Jump up ^ Freedberg, et al. ( 2003 ). Fitzpatrick 's Dermatology in General Medicine. ( 6th ed. ). McGraw - Hill. ISBN 0 - 07 - 138076 - 0. Jump up ^ Schocker, Laura ( 24 September 2013 ). `` 15 Things You Never Knew About Your Nails ''. HuffPost UK. ^ Jump up to : Tüzün, Yalçın ; Karakuş, Özge ( 2009 ). `` Leukonychia '' ( PDF ). Journal of Turkish Academy of Leukonychia : 1 -- 3. Retrieved April 2, 2017. Jump up ^ Holland, Kimberly ( 29 May 2018 ). Cobb, Cynthia, ed. `` Why Are There White Spots on My Nails ? ''. Healthline. You may notice white spots or dots along your nails if you are deficient in certain minerals or vitamins. Jump up ^ `` White Spots On Nails : Should You Be Worried ? ''. CureJoy. 6 March 2018. They may also be caused by zinc or albumin deficiency, which is curable. Jump up ^ Morgan, Z. ; Wickett, H. ( 6 May 2011 ). `` Leukonychia on finger nails as a marker of calcium and / or zinc deficiency ''. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 24 ( 3 ) : 294 -- 295. The results showed there was no correlation between calcium or zinc intake scores and leukonychia. Jump up ^ `` Leukonychia -- Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Pictures ''. byebyedoctor.com. Retrieved 2017 - 05 - 18. Jump up ^ Maino KL, Stashower ME. `` Traumatic Transverse Leukonychia ''. Medscape. Jump up ^ Baran, Robert et al. Baran and Dawber 's Diseases of the Nails and Their Management. John Wiley & Sons, 2012 Jump up ^ Miles DW, Rubens RD ( 1995 ). `` Images in clinical medicine. Transverse leukonychia ''. N. Engl. J. Med. 333 ( 2 ) : 100. doi : 10.1056 / NEJM199507133330205. PMID 7777013. Jump up ^ `` Pictures of Nail Diseases and Problems - Leukonychia Striata ''. Jump up ^ Huang, T. - C. ; Chao, T. - Y. ( 14 December 2009 ). `` Mees lines and Beau lines after chemotherapy ''. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 182 ( 3 ) : E149 -- E149. doi : 10.1503 / cmaj. 090501. PMC 2826482. PMID 20008502. Jump up ^ `` My Big Fat Greek Leukonychia ''. Jump up ^ Meyer, Bhika ( November 2014 ). `` Nails as Indicators of Disease '' ( PDF ). Science of Medicine and Art of Care -- via Tibb Institute. Jump up ^ Wollina U, Nenoff P, Haroske G, Haenssle HA ( July 2016 ). `` The Diagnosis and Treatment of Nail Disorders ''. Deutsches Arzteblatt International. 113 ( 29 - 30 ) : 509 -- 18. doi : 10.3238 / arztebl. 2016.0509. PMC 5527843. PMID 27545710. Jump up ^ Kelly MP, Kight MA, Castillo S ( July 1998 ). `` Trophic implications of altered body composition observed in or near the nails of hemodialysis patients ''. Advances in Renal Replacement Therapy. 5 ( 3 ) : 241 -- 51. PMID 9686635. External links Classification ICD - 10 : L60. 8, Q84. 4 ICD - 9 - CM : 703.8, 757.5 DiseasesDB : 14140 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leukonychia. Disorders of skin appendages ( L60 -- L75, 703 -- 706 ) Nail thickness : Onychogryphosis Onychauxis color : Beau 's lines Yellow nail syndrome Leukonychia Azure lunula shape : Koilonychia Nail clubbing behavior : Onychotillomania Onychophagia other : Ingrown nail Anonychia ungrouped : Paronychia Acute Chronic Chevron nail Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers Green nails Half and half nails Hangnail Hapalonychia Hook nail Ingrown nail Lichen planus of the nails Longitudinal erythronychia Malalignment of the nail plate Median nail dystrophy Mees ' lines Melanonychia Muehrcke 's lines Nail -- patella syndrome Onychoatrophy Onycholysis Onychomadesis Onychomatricoma Onychomycosis Onychophosis Onychoptosis defluvium Onychorrhexis Onychoschizia Platonychia Pincer nails Plummer 's nail Psoriatic nails Pterygium inversum unguis Pterygium unguis Purpura of the nail bed Racquet nail Red lunulae Shell nail syndrome Splinter hemorrhage Spotted lunulae Staining of the nail plate Stippled nails Subungual hematoma Terry 's nails Twenty - nail dystrophy Hair Hair loss / Baldness noncicatricial alopecia : Alopecia areata totalis universalis Ophiasis Androgenic alopecia ( male - pattern baldness ) Hypotrichosis Telogen effluvium Traction alopecia Lichen planopilaris Trichorrhexis nodosa Alopecia neoplastica Anagen effluvium Alopecia mucinosa cicatricial alopecia : Pseudopelade of Brocq Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia Pressure alopecia Traumatic alopecia Tumor alopecia Hot comb alopecia Perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens Graham - Little syndrome Folliculitis decalvans ungrouped : Triangular alopecia Frontal fibrosing alopecia Marie Unna hereditary hypotrichosis Hypertrichosis Hirsutism Acquired localised generalised patterned Congenital generalised localised X-linked Prepubertal Acneiform eruption Acne Acne vulgaris Acne conglobata Acne miliaris necrotica Tropical acne Infantile acne / Neonatal acne Excoriated acne Acne fulminans Acne medicamentosa ( e.g., steroid acne ) Halogen acne Iododerma Bromoderma Chloracne Oil acne Tar acne Acne cosmetica Occupational acne Acne aestivalis Acne keloidalis nuchae Acne mechanica Acne with facial edema Pomade acne Acne necrotica Blackhead Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei Rosacea Perioral dermatitis Granulomatous perioral dermatitis Phymatous rosacea Rhinophyma Blepharophyma Gnathophyma Metophyma Otophyma Papulopustular rosacea Lupoid rosacea Erythrotelangiectatic rosacea Glandular rosacea Gram - negative rosacea Steroid rosacea Ocular rosacea Persistent edema of rosacea Rosacea conglobata variants Periorificial dermatitis Pyoderma faciale Ungrouped Granulomatous facial dermatitis Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma Periorbital dermatitis SAPHO syndrome Follicular cysts `` Sebaceous cyst '' Epidermoid cyst Trichilemmal cyst Steatocystoma simplex multiplex Milia Inflammation Folliculitis Folliculitis nares perforans Tufted folliculitis Pseudofolliculitis barbae Hidradenitis Hidradenitis suppurativa Recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis Ungrouped Acrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex Acroosteolysis Bubble hair deformity Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis Erosive pustular dermatitis of the scalp Erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli Hair casts Hair follicle nevus Intermittent hair -- follicle dystrophy Keratosis pilaris atropicans Kinking hair Koenen 's tumor Lichen planopilaris Lichen spinulosus Loose anagen syndrome Menkes kinky hair syndrome Monilethrix Parakeratosis pustulosa Pili ( Pili annulati Pili bifurcati Pili multigemini Pili pseudoannulati Pili torti ) Pityriasis amiantacea Plica neuropathica Poliosis Rubinstein -- Taybi syndrome Setleis syndrome Traumatic anserine folliculosis Trichomegaly Trichomycosis axillaris Trichorrhexis ( Trichorrhexis invaginata Trichorrhexis nodosa ) Trichostasis spinulosa Uncombable hair syndrome Wooly hair Wooly hair nevus Sweat glands Eccrine Miliaria Colloid milium Miliaria crystalline Miliaria profunda Miliaria pustulosa Miliaria rubra Occlusion miliaria Postmiliarial hypohidrosis Granulosis rubra nasi Ross ' syndrome Anhidrosis Hyperhidrosis Generalized Gustatory Palmoplantar Apocrine Body odor Chromhidrosis Fox -- Fordyce disease Sebaceous Sebaceous hyperplasia Congenital malformations and deformations of skin appendages ( Q84, 757.4 -- 757.5 ) Nail disease Anonychia Leukonychia Pachyonychia congenita / Onychauxis Koilonychia Hair disease hypotrichosis / abnormalities : keratin disease Monilethrix IBIDS syndrome Sabinas brittle hair syndrome Pili annulati Pili torti Uncombable hair syndrome Björnstad syndrome Giant axonal neuropathy with curly hair hypertrichosis : Zimmermann -- Laband syndrome Medicine portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leukonychia&oldid=851091691 '' Categories : Articles requiring reliable medical sources Conditions of the skin appendages Hidden categories : Articles needing additional medical references from October 2014 All articles needing additional references Infobox medical condition ( new ) Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Español Italiano Қазақша Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 20 July 2018, at 00 : 43 ( UTC ). 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Question: what do white spots on the nails indicate
Answer: injury to the base of the nail (the matrix) where the nail is formed