Can longitudinal melanonychia be benign?
Can longitudinal melanonychia be benign?
There are three types of longitudinal melanonychia in this category: lentigo, nail matrix nevus, and subungual melanoma. The former two conditions are benign lesions, while the latter is malignant. Lentigo and nail matrix nevi are benign conditions that share similar clinical characteristics.
Can benign melanonychia become malignant?
In some cases, it can be harmless, or benign, but in others, it can be malignant. There are many possible causes of melanonychia via melanocytic activation, as well as factors that can make it more likely.
Can melanonychia turn into melanoma?
Some melanonychia screams “melanoma” from the doorway There are times melanonychia is so egregious that it can only be melanoma. A wide, deeply pigmented band with irregular lines and pigmented extension onto the periungual tissues is nearly pathognomonic for melanoma.
What is longitudinal melanonychia?
Longitudinal melanonychia, also called “melanonychia striata,” describes a pigmented, brown to black, longitudinal streak of the nail plate due to increased activity of melanocytes or melanocytic hyperplasia in the nail matrix, with increased melanin deposition in the nail plate [ 1,2 ].
Is nail melanonychia normally pigmented?
It is not normally pigmented. Melanocytes typically lie dormant in the proximal nail matrix where the nail originates. Melanin is deposited into the growing nail when melanocytes are activated, resulting in a pigmented band — this is longitudinal melanonychia.
What is the difference between subungual and longitudinal melanoma?
Subungual melanoma can only be definitively diagnosed with a nail biopsy. People with nail matrix melanoma tend to have poor outcomes. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. Longitudinal melanonychia can develop when pigments other than melanin are introduced into the nail fold.
What is the prevalence of melanonychia in children?
In children, 77.5% of cases of melanonychia are due to benign melanocytic hyperplasia. Malignant melanocytic hyperplasia may be due to invasive melanoma or in situ. It is most often seen in the thumb, big toe or index finger.
