Nail Disorders

The nails of newborns are thin and soft, and frequently present a certain degree of koilonychia, which is especially evident in toenails. The thickness and breadth of the nail plate increase rapidly during the first two decades of life. Nail diseases are a rather uncommon cause of dermatological consultation in children. Nail signs of congenital and hereditary nail diseases usually develop early during childhood, and their presence may be a clue to the diagnosis of a syndrome or a systemic disorder. Although the acquired nail conditions observed in childhood are similar to those of adults, the prevalence of several diseases may vary in these different age groups. Some conditions, such as parakeratosis pustulosa and twenty-nail dystrophy, are exclusively or typically seen in children