Beau Lines

Aka: Beau Lines, Transverse Linear Nail Lesion, Nail Groove, Beau's Lines, Transverse White Nail Line, Transverse Nail Ridge

II. Pathophysiology

  1. Results from Nail Growth arrest (interrupted nail bed mitosis)
  2. Suggests systemic illness or local Trauma
    1. Prolonged illness duration results in wider groove

III. Causes

  1. Severe illness
  2. Pemphigus
  3. High fever
  4. Chemotherapy
  5. Raynaud Disease

IV. Signs

  1. Deep transverse (horizontal) grooves in nail plate (Beau's Lines)
  2. Typically affects entire width of nail plate

V. Differential Diagnosis: Transverse Lines in Nail

  1. See Also Nail Discoloration
  2. Muehrcke's Lines
    1. Pairs of white lines do not move with Nail Growth
  3. Mees' Lines
    1. Transverse lines parallel to lunula
  4. Leukonychia
    1. Non-uniform lines or spots
  5. Transverse striate Leukonychia

VI. References

  1. Fawcett (2004) Am Fam Physician 69(6):1417-24 [PubMed]

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Related Studies

Ontology: Transverse nail ridge (C0240443)

Concepts Finding (T033)
SnomedCT 299666001
English transverse nail ridges, transverse ridges in nails (symptom), transverse ridges in nails, transverse ridge nail, nail ridges transverse, transverse nail ridge, Transverse nail ridge, Transverse nail ridge (finding)
Spanish ranura transversal de la uña (hallazgo), ranura transversal de la uña
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Ontology: Beau's lines (C0263534)

Definition (NCI) Linear transverse/horizontal groove of one or more nail plates that migrate distally from the proximal nail fold with nail growth, usually secondary to illness, trauma or malnutrition.(NICHD)
Concepts Sign or Symptom (T184)
ICD10 L60.4
SnomedCT 44087005, 201123006
English Beau's line, Beau's lines (physical finding), Beau lines, beaus's lines, beau's line, beau's lines, Beau's line (disorder), Horizontal Nail Ridging, Beau's Lines, Beau's lines, Transverse furrows, Transverse groove in nails, Transverse nail groove, Beau's lines (disorder), Beau; line, line; Beau
German Beau-Reil-Querfurchen
Korean 보우선
Spanish líneas de Beau en las uñas, líneas de Beau, surcos transversales de Beau (trastorno), surcos transversales de Beau
Dutch Beau; lijn, lijn; Beau, Lijnen van Beau
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)

Related Topics in Nail Disorders

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