Thin toenail

What it means

Toenail that appears thin when viewed on end.

No objective standard for nail thickness could be identified. An unsupported claim suggests that nails are 0.5 mm in females and 0.6 mm in males (http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/topic421.htm). Thin nails are usually brittle, may easily fray, or break at the free edge. Thin nails usually grow slowly but this definition does not require slow growth of the nail. Note that the term koilonychia is an abnormal shape of the fingernail where the nail has raised ridges and is thin and concave. Since it include other characteristics besides thin nails, it should not be used to indicate this. The affected digits should be specified.

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

Also called: Thin toenails