Trachyonychia

What it means

Excessive longitudinal ridging that gives the surface of the nail plate a rough appearance. It results from multiple foci of defective keratinization of the proximal nail matrix.

The most common histopathologic findings of trachyonychia are spongiosis and exocytosis of inflammatory cells in the nail epithelia1. Although idiopathic trachyonychia may be much more common than reported, it may present with various associated skin or mucosal diseases including alopecia areata, lichen planus, psoriasis, and eczema. Trachyonychia predominantly occurs in children, although it can affect people of all ages. Trachyonychia can improve spontaneously but may have a chronic course exceeding 6 years and result in cosmetic handicaps.

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