International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences | June 2021 | Vol 9 | Issue 6 Page 1758
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
Nurasta IGNYS et al. Int J Res Med Sci. 2021 Jun;9(6):1758-1759
www.msjonline.org pISSN 2320-6071 | eISSN 2320-6012
Case Report
Melanonychia striata: a case report
I. Gede Narendra Yogi Swara Nurasta
1
*, Putu Anda Tusta Adiputra
2
,
A. A. Krisna Dwipayana
1
INTRODUCTION
Melanonychia striata or longitudinal melanonychia is an
abnormal color of nail plate with pigmented (dark-brown
tan black) band running in longitudinal axis of the nail.
This discoloration of the nail plate is caused by increased
melanin production because of increased quantity or
function melanocytes in the nail matrix. Bleeding and
trauma can cause increased melanin production, besides
proliferation and hyperplasia of melanocyte. (A)
Prevalence of melanonychia striata ranges from 1.4% in
white populations and up to 77% in black populations.
(B) Early detection and examination such as
histopathology is needed to rule out malignancy in
melanonychia striata. In this case report, we presented a
case of melanonychia striata in a 12-years-old male.
CASE REPORT
This 12-years-old male patient presented to the Surgical
Oncology Clinic of Prima Medika Hospital with one-year
history of discoloration of his left ring finger nail
(Figure 1).
Figure 1: Melanonychia striata on the left ring nail.
His nail plate turning brownish-black progressively, with
no pain or swelling was present. There was no history of
trauma and no discharge or itching. The patient was in
good condition without taking any medication. There was
no history of melanoma, melanonychia striata or other
disease of the nail, and other skin diseases in the family.
Dermatological examination revealed a longitudinal
hyperpigmentation overlying nail plate on left ring nail
1
Department of Surgery, Prima Medika Hospital, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
2
Division of Surgical Oncology, Surgery,Udayana University, Sanglah General Hospital, Prima Medika Hospital,
Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Received: 05 May 2021
Accepted: 19 May 2021
*Correspondence:
Dr. I. Gede Narendra Yogi Swara Nurasta,
E-mail: narendra_yogi@hotmail.com
Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT
Melanonychia striata longitudinalis is a pigmented band in the long axis of the nail. The discoloration occured because
of increase of melanin in the nail matrix. In most cases, especially in children, melanonychia striata is a benign
condition. In this case report a 12-years-old male with melanonychia striata. Longitudinal excision was performed with
histopathology examination to rule out malignancy and further management.
Keywords: Melanonychia striata, Nail matrix, Benign
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20212247