Terry's nails
Encyclopedia
Terry's nails is a physical finding in which fingernails and/or toenails appear white with a characteristic "ground glass" appearance, with no lunula
. The condition is thought to be due to a decrease in vascularity and an increase in connective tissue within the nail bed. It frequently occurs in the setting of hepatic failure, cirrhosis
, diabetes mellitus
, congestive heart failure
, hyperthyroidism
, and/or malnutrition
. Eighty percent of patients with severe liver disease have Terry's nails, but they are also found in patients with renal failure, in patients with congestive heart failure and are described as a brown arc near the ends of the nails. The recognition of characteristic nail patterns, such as Terry’s nails, may be a helpful herald for early diagnosis of systemic diseases.
Lunula (anatomy)
The lunula, or lunulae , is the crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail. The lunula is the visible part of the nail matrix The lunula, or lunulae (pl.) (little moon in Latin), is the crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail. The lunula is the...
. The condition is thought to be due to a decrease in vascularity and an increase in connective tissue within the nail bed. It frequently occurs in the setting of hepatic failure, cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
, diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
, congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
, hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is the term for overactive tissue within the thyroid gland causing an overproduction of thyroid hormones . Hyperthyroidism is thus a cause of thyrotoxicosis, the clinical condition of increased thyroid hormones in the blood. Hyperthyroidism and thyrotoxicosis are not synonymous...
, and/or malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
. Eighty percent of patients with severe liver disease have Terry's nails, but they are also found in patients with renal failure, in patients with congestive heart failure and are described as a brown arc near the ends of the nails. The recognition of characteristic nail patterns, such as Terry’s nails, may be a helpful herald for early diagnosis of systemic diseases.