A Study of Nail Disorders in Children

Lee, Min Kyung; Cho, Eun Byul; Park, Eun Joo; Kim, Kwang Ho; Kim, Kwang Joong

Abstract

BACKGROUND
There have been increasing patients with nail diseases at a dermatology department. Some nail disorders in children may differ from those observed in adults in terms of their incidence or manifestations.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore the frequency and nature of nail alterations in pediatric patients.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and clinical photos of 2,514 patients under 18-year-old with nail disorders who had visited Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital between January 2003 and December 2013.
RESULTS
The number of pediatric patients with nail disorders has been increased since 2008. Among 2,514 patients, infectious nail diseases were most common (64.4%). Others included; other unclassified nail change (21.4%), traumatic nail disorders (7.9%), nail involvement of dermatologic diseases (4.6%), nail change with systemic conditions (0.7%), tumors involving nail apparatus (0.6%), and congenital or inherited conditions (0.1%). Unlike adults, pediatric patients showed small proportion of onychomycosis but large proportion of traumatic nail diseases
CONCLUSION
Most common nail disease in children was viral wart, and this result differed from that of adults in previous studies. Pediatric nail alterations have been increasing major concerns in patients who visit dermatologic clinics so that recognizing the frequency and manifestation of nail disorders in children can be helpful of evaluating pediatric patients with nail change.