Muehrcke's lines
Encyclopedia
Muehrcke's nails, Muehrcke's lines, or leukonychia striata, are changes in the fingernail
that may be a sign of an underlying medical disorder or condition. Muehrcke's lines are white lines (leukonychia
) that extend all the way across the nail and lie parallel to the lunula (half moon). In contrast to Beau's lines
, they are not grooved. The lines are actually in the vascular nail bed underneath the nail plate, and as such, they do not move with nail growth. Meuhrcke's lines disappear when pressure is placed over the nail, blanching the underlying nail bed.
The appearance of Muehrcke's lines is nonspecific, but they are often associated with decreased protein synthesis, which may occur during periods of metabolic stress (e.g., after chemotherapy
) and in hypoalbuminemic states such as the nephrotic syndrome
.
An example of Muehrcke's lines in the context of chemotherapy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007.
Muehrcke's lines were described by Robert C. Muehrcke in 1956.
Nail (anatomy)
A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Nails are similar to claws, which are found on numerous other animals....
that may be a sign of an underlying medical disorder or condition. Muehrcke's lines are white lines (leukonychia
Leukonychia
Leukonychia , also known as white nails, is a medical term for white discoloration appearing on nails. It is derived from the Greek words leuko and onyx...
) that extend all the way across the nail and lie parallel to the lunula (half moon). In contrast to Beau's lines
Beau's lines
Beau's lines are deep grooved lines that run from side to side on the fingernail. They may look like indentations or ridges in the nail plate. This condition of the nail was named by a French physician, Joseph Honoré Simon Beau , who first described it in 1846.Beau's lines are horizontal, going...
, they are not grooved. The lines are actually in the vascular nail bed underneath the nail plate, and as such, they do not move with nail growth. Meuhrcke's lines disappear when pressure is placed over the nail, blanching the underlying nail bed.
The appearance of Muehrcke's lines is nonspecific, but they are often associated with decreased protein synthesis, which may occur during periods of metabolic stress (e.g., after chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
) and in hypoalbuminemic states such as the nephrotic syndrome
Nephrotic syndrome
Nephrotic syndrome is a nonspecific disorder in which the kidneys are damaged, causing them to leak large amounts of protein from the blood into the urine....
.
An example of Muehrcke's lines in the context of chemotherapy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007.
Muehrcke's lines were described by Robert C. Muehrcke in 1956.