Splinter hemorrhages

What it means

Thin, red to reddish-brown lines of blood (hemorrhages) under the nails. Splinter hemorrhages run vertically under the nails.

Splinter hemorrhages represent rupture of longitudinally oriented nail plate capillaries leading to extravasation and the historical hallmark of linear discoloration. See figure 1 of PMID:36050132.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category