Splinter hemorrhages (or haemorrhages) are tiny lines that run vertically under nails. Splinter hemorrhage is a nonspecific finding and can be associated with subacute bacterial endocarditis

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...

, scleroderma

Scleroderma

Systemic sclerosis or systemic scleroderma is a systemic autoimmune disease or systemic connective tissue disease that is a subtype of scleroderma.-Skin symptoms:...

, trichinosis

Trichinosis

Trichinosis, also called trichinellosis, or trichiniasis, is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis, commonly called the trichina worm. There are eight Trichinella species; five are...

, Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...

 (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...

, psoriatic nails

Psoriatic nails

Psoriatic nails is a nail disease. It is common in those suffering from psoriasis, with reported incidences varying from 10% to 78%. Elderly patients and those with psoriatic arthritis are more likely to have psoriatic nails.-Symptoms:...

, antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome or antiphospholipid antibody syndrome , often also Hughes syndrome, is an autoimmune, hypercoagulable state caused by antibodies against cell-membrane phospholipids that provokes blood clots in both arteries and veins as well as pregnancy-related complications such as...

, and trauma. At first they are usually plum-colored, but then darken to brown or black in a couple of days.
In certain conditions (in particular, infective endocarditis

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...

), clots can migrate from the affected heart valve and find their way into various parts of the body. If this happens in the finger, it can cause damage to the capillaries resulting in a splinter hemorrhage.

There are a number of other causes for splinter hemorrhages. They could be due to hitting the nail ("trauma"), a sign of inflammation in blood vessels all around the body ("systemic vasculitis"), or they could be where a bit of cholesterol has got lodged in the finger's capillaries. Even if a patient does have infective endocarditis, probably 5 in every 6 patients won't have splinter hemorrhages.

External links

• http://www.forusdocs.com/photo_gallery/photo_gallery_main.htm Image of Splinter Hemorrhage in Patient With Scleroderma