Flash information
- Matrix
- Pitting
- Nail bed
- Salmon patch
- Plate
- Onycholysis
- Context
- Skin and joints
Definition
Psoriasis may affect the nail matrix or bed, changing surface, colour or attachment.
Examination or reading method
Examine all nails, skin and joints; investigate accompanying fungal infection when appropriate.
Morphological description
Describe pitting, crumbling, salmon patches, onycholysis and subungual hyperkeratosis; record how many nails are affected.
Causes and diagnostic direction
Matrix and nail-bed changes may coexist; skin disease is not always present.
Differential diagnoses
Pitting and onycholysis are not specific: eczema, alopecia areata, trauma and fungal infection can mimic them.
Associated findings
Joint pain or swelling should be assessed when nail changes are compatible with psoriasis.
Red flags
Deformation of a single nail warrants assessment for a local lesion.
Pitfalls and limitations
A yellow nail does not establish fungal infection, and pitting alone does not confirm psoriasis.
Take-home message
Assess matrix, bed and plate separately, then integrate skin and joint findings.
Media source & rights
- Author
- JVO27
- Original source
- JVO27 — NailPsoriasis.JPG — CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANailPsoriasis.JPG
- Licence
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Changes
- Image source/aperçu éditeur converti WebP ; dimensions proportionnelles, aucun recadrage ni retouche médicale, EXIF supprimé. SHA source = octets réellement acquis, pas un original refusé. Dérivé écran proportionnel ≤1280 px, WebP qualité76 ; vignette ≤320 px qualité72. Source acquise et dérivé initial conservés sans modification ; aucune retouche médicale, aucun recadrage.
- Dimensions
- 960 × 720 px
- Check
- 2026-10-11