what causes nail pterygium

Full Answer

What is pterygium and what causes it?

Pterygium is a disorder that occurs by an overgrowth of the proximal nail fold on to the nail bed. In severe cases the nail plate is eventually replaced with scar-like tissue.

What causes ventral nail pterygium?

Ventral pterygium mainly occurs due to the fault in systemic connective tissue. If any scar is produced in the area of distal nail groove, it will eventually turn into ventral nail pterygium. This disease is sometimes genetic too. Pterygium of the nails should be taken into account at the initial stage.

What is the pterygium of the nail bed?

If there is any scar tissue available in the matrix, The skin of the specific site of the matrix starts to grow outward pressing the skin of the nail bed. This forms a triangular-shaped structure which is then called pterygium. There are two types of pterygium; dorsal pterygium and ventral pterygium.

What happens to the nail plate when the pterygium widens?

As a result, the nail plate is divided into 2 lateral segments that progressively decrease in size as the pterygium widens. Complete involvement of the matrix and the nail bed produces a total loss of the plate and a permanent atrophy of the nail apparatus.

How do you treat pterygium nails?

Treatment for pterygium begins with topical steroids in the form of creams and lotions, or anti-inflammatory medications. Tier two of treatment moves into cortisone injections at the matrix of the nail (which is very painful for clients). In advanced cases, treatment requires the nail to be removed through surgery.

What is the disease of pterygium nail?

Pterygium is a disorder that occurs by an overgrowth of the proximal nail fold on to the nail bed. In severe cases the nail plate is eventually replaced with scar-like tissue. The condition typically effects the nail matrix, nail bed and nail plate but sometimes all parts of the nail unit are involved.

What is a pterygium for foot?

Pterygium is a disorder characterized by an overgrowth of the proximal nail fold onto the nail bed. Pterygium is derived from a Greek word, pterygion, which means “little wing” or “fin.” It is also referred to as wing-like. By definition, pterygium forms if there is scar tissue in the nail matrix.

What are some possible causes for nail malformation?

Toenail problems can affect people of all ages, but tend to be more common in older people. Common causes of fingernail problems include injury, infection and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Causes of toenail problems include trauma, ill-fitting shoes, poor circulation, poor nerve supply and infection.

How do you prevent cuticles overgrowth?

Practice good nail hygiene, which includes soaking and moisturizing your cuticles, and gently pushing them back from time to time. This can keep your cuticles healthy and prevent further overgrowth. Keep your toes looking and feeling good. (2020).

How do you pronounce nail pterygium?

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Can a pterygium go away?

Unfortunately, a pterygium will often grow back after surgery to remove it. (This may be more likely if you are under age 40.) Sometimes the growth that comes back causes worse symptoms than the original one. Your eye care provider might find it even harder to remove this new growth.

How do you get rid of pterygium naturally?

Pterygium removal naturally is also possible by avoiding dusty and windy climates. Avoid working in high temperatures. Pterygium natural treatment is done by doing some lifestyle changes such as a reduction in watching T.V, working on the computer for a longer duration of time. Frequently splash cold water in your eyes.

What does pterygium look like?

A pterygium is a growth of the conjunctiva or mucous membrane that covers the white part of your eye over the cornea. The cornea is the clear front covering of the eye. This benign or noncancerous growth is often shaped like a wedge.

Can vitamin deficiency cause nail problems?

Weak nails might also be associated with a deficiency in B vitamins, calcium, iron, or fatty acids.

What are 8 common nail disorders?

Brittle nail syndrome, onychomycosis, paronychia, nail psoriasis, longitudinal melanonychia, Beau's lines, onychomadesis and retronychia are common nail disorders seen in clinical practice. These conditions stem from infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic and traumatic aetiologies.

Can iron deficiency cause nail problems?

Fingernails: Possible problems Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat. Spoon nails can also be associated with heart disease and hypothyroidism.

What is a nail disease?

A nail disease or onychosis is a disease or deformity of the nail. Although the nail is a structure produced by the skin and is a skin appendage, nail diseases have a distinct classification as they have their own signs and symptoms which may relate to other medical conditions.

What is lichen planus of the nails?

Nail lichen planus is manifested with nail plate thinning, longitudinal ridging, distal nail plate splitting, onycholysis, onychorrhexis, subungual hyperkeratosis, lunular erythematous patches, and pterygium.

What causes corrugations of the nail?

Also known as corrugations, long ridges that run either lengthwise or across the nail; some lengthwise ridges are normal in adult nails, and they increase with age; lengthwise ridges can also be caused by conditions such as psoriasis, poor circulation, and frostbite; ridges that run across the nail can be caused by ...

What causes Onychomadesis?

Onychomadesis (nail shedding) is defined as the proximal nail plate detached from the proximal nail fold by a whole thickness sulcus. The causes include mechanical trauma, autoimmune diseases, major medical illness, medications, idiopathic and infections [1,2,3,4].

Why do people get pterygium?

The exact cause of pterygium isn’t known. One explanation is that too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can lead to these growths . It occurs more often in people who live in warm climates and spend a lot of time outdoors in sunny or windy environments. People whose eyes are exposed to certain elements on a regular basis have a higher risk of developing this condition. These elements include:

How to diagnose pterygium?

Diagnosing a pterygium is straightforward. Your eye doctor may diagnose this condition based on a physical examination using a slit lamp. This lamp allows your doctor to see your eye with the help of magnification and bright lighting. If your doctor needs to do additional tests, they may include: 1 Visual acuity test. This test involves reading letters on an eye chart. 2 Corneal topography. This medical mapping technique is used to measure curvature changes in your cornea. 3 Photo documentation. This procedure involves taking pictures to track the growth rate of the pterygium.

Why do doctors remove pterygium?

Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the pterygium if eye drops or ointments don’t provide relief. Surgery is also done when a pterygium causes a loss of vision or a condition called astigmatism, which can result in blurry vision.

How do you know if you have a pterygium in your eye?

Common symptoms include redness, blurred vision, and eye irritation. You might also feel a burning sensation or itchiness. If a pterygium grows large enough to cover your cornea, it can interfere with your vision. Thick or larger pterygium can also cause you to feel like you have a foreign object in your eye.

How to prevent pterygium?

If possible, avoid exposure to environmental factors that can cause a pterygium. You can help prevent the development of a pterygium by wearing sunglasses or a hat to shield your eyes from sunlight, wind, and dust. Your sunglasses should also provide protection from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Can pterygium scars be removed?

For minor cases, treatment usually involves eye drops or ointment to treat inflammation. In the more serious cases, treatment can involve surgical removal of the pterygium.

Can pterygium grow back?

Your eye might also feel dry and irritated after surgery. Your doctor can prescribe medications to provide relief and reduce the risk of having a pterygium grow back.

What is pterygium in nails?

Synopsis. Pterygium is a nail abnormality that is either dorsal or ventral depending on the site of involvement. Dorsal pterygium occurs when the proximal nail fold fuses with the underlying matrix and, subsequently, with the nail bed.

What is the pterygium inversum unguis?

Ventral pterygium (pterygium inversum unguis) consists of a distal expansion of the hyponychium, which anchors to the undersurface of the nail plate, ultimately resulting in the obliteration of the distal nail groove. Ventral pterygium is more common in females.

What causes a distal nail groove to be scarred?

It usually arises from conditions involving the hyponychium, such as systemic connective tissue diseases (eg, systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Raynaud phenomenon), scarring in the vicinity of the distal nail groove, use of formaldehyde-containing hardener, subungual exostosis, stroke, and trauma.

Is pterygium idiopathic or familial?

Ventral pterygium may also be idiopathic, congenital, or sometimes familial. Both ventral and dorsal pterygium predominantly involve the fingernails. Aside from the nail dystrophy, patients may complain of pain, particularly in the case of trimming the nails of a ventral pterygium.

What is pterygium in nails?

Pterygium is a disorder that occurs by an overgrowth of the proximal nail fold on to the nail bed. In severe cases the nail plate is eventually replaced with scar-like tissue. The condition typically effects the nail matrix, nail bed and nail plate but sometimes all parts of the nail unit are involved.

What are the two types of pterygium?

Two types of the condition can occur – Dorsal or Ventral. Dorsal pterygium is seen at the proximal nail fold and ventral pterygium at the hyponychium known as inverse or ventral pterygium.

How can nail technician help?

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment or cure for the condition. Nail technicians can perform a professional and safe manicure providing care is taken. When ventral pterygium occurs, the hyponychium area can become very sensitive, or even painful, for the client.

What is pterygium in nails?

“Pterygium of the nail can be described as an adhesion between the skin surrounding the nail (dorsal nail fold) and the area under the nail plate, which eventually leads to partial nail destruction ,” says Dr. Andrea Cambio. There are a number of causes of pterygium.

How to treat pterygium?

Severs says treatment for pterygium begins with topical steroids in the form of creams and lotions, or anti-inflammatory medications. Tier two of treatment moves into cortisone injections at the matrix of the nail (which is very painful for clients).

Why does my nail have a rash?

One common cause is the skin disease lichen planus, which along with pterygium of the nail, appears as a purplish rash on the skin and possibly even in the mouth. Other causes of pterygium include blunt force trauma or rheumatic disease. There is also a hereditary form of pterygium, says Cambio.

What are the causes of pterygium?

Other factors that have been associated with pterygium are exposure to smoke, pollen, and other eye irritants. Individuals who work outdoors are much more likely to have pterygium due to increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and intense sunlight. Correlations have also been found between chronic eye dryness and pterygium occurrence.

Why does pterygium occur?

Some theories suggest that UV damage to the stem cells present at the limbus (the area where the clear cornea and the white sclera join) allows the pterygium to form.

What is the treatment for pterygium excision?

Another technique utilized following pterygium excision is auto-grafting, where a surgeon removes tissue from healthy conjunctiva and transplants it onto the affected conjunctiva, thereby lowering the risk of recurrence. Pterygium surgery is sometimes accompanied by the use of an anticancer medicine called mitomycin C. Mitomycin C with or without autografting can decrease the risk of recurrence.

How long does it take for pterygium to heal?

Patients are typically prescribed a combination of topical steroid and/or antibiotic medication to help with healing, prevent infection and decrease post surgical scarring. The medication is prescribed for 4-8 weeks in the majority of cases. During the recovery period, the patient will return for post operative check ups to make sure the healing is progressing and there are no signs of the pterygium recurring. Topical lubricant eye drops and/or ointments are also recommended during the healing period.

What test is used to determine if a pterygium is growing?

In more extreme presentations, pterygium may require testing such as corneal topography to assess the extent of the growth and impact on your eye health.

How to avoid pterygium?

Avoid exposure to known irritants and wear proper protective gear when in sunny climates and spending time outdoors to minimize risk of pterygium occurence.

Where is the pterygium located?

A pterygium is typically present on the sun-exposed areas of the eye where the eyelids do not cover the eye or the sclera (the white part of the eye). They are usually found on the nasal aspect of the eye but can be located on the temporal side or both sides of the eye.

What is a pterygium nail?

A pterygium is a wing of extra tissue. In a nail, it is due to scarring in the matrix. Characteristic of lichen planus , but may also occur in Stevens-Johnson syndrome and after trauma.

What causes a nail to have a horizontal groove?

A horizontal groove can be the result of earlier nail trauma or subungual haematoma.

What is longitudinal nail splitting?

Longitudinal splitting. Longitudinal nail splitting is an extension of ridging seen in psoriasis, a fungal nail infection or lichen planus. Distal splitting in association with a pigmented or red linear band can be a sign of onychopapilloma.

What does it mean when your nails pit?

Nail pitting may be a sign of eczema , psoriasis and alopecia areata.

What is the term for the embedding of the proximal nail plate into the proximal nail?

Retronychia refers to the embedding of the proximal nail plate into the proximal nail fold with subsequent painful nail fold inflammation and thickening, and granulation tissue, usually seen in the great toes. It typically results from trauma pushing the nail plate up with a new plate growing out underneath.

What is the cuticle of a nail?

The cuticle is a sheet of keratin joining the skin of the proximal nail fold to the nail plate, protecting the space under the proximal nail fold. Loss of cuticle results in paronychia.

What is median canaliform nail dystrophy?

Median canaliform nail dystrophy presents as a feathered, central, longitudinal ridge with a fir-tree pattern usually involving both thumbnails. It is similar to the deformity caused by repetitively pushing back the cuticle (habit-tic deformity). Macrolunulae (large half-moons) may expose the nail matrix to trauma, as they are frequently present.

Overview

Causes

• The exact cause of pterygium isnt known. One explanation is that too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can lead to these growths. It occurs more often in people who live in warm climates and spend a lot of time outdoors in sunny or windy environments. People whose eyes are exposed to certain elements on a regular basis have a higher risk of d...

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Treatment

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Prevention