Onychomadesis
Encyclopedia
Onychomadesis is a periodic idiopathic
shedding of the nail
s beginning at its proximal end, possibly caused by the temporary arrest of the function of the nail matrix.
One cause in children is hand foot and mouth disease. This generally resolves without complication.
Idiopathic
Idiopathic is an adjective used primarily in medicine meaning arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause. From Greek ἴδιος, idios + πάθος, pathos , it means approximately "a disease of its own kind". It is technically a term from nosology, the classification of disease...
shedding of the nail
Nail (anatomy)
A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Nails are similar to claws, which are found on numerous other animals....
s beginning at its proximal end, possibly caused by the temporary arrest of the function of the nail matrix.
One cause in children is hand foot and mouth disease. This generally resolves without complication.