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Eur J Radiol 2019 Mar 6;112:93-105. Epub 2019 Jan 6.

Division of Radiology, Department of Imaging and Medical Informatics, Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1211, Geneva 14, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Although the nail is a small anatomical structure, it can be affected by various tumors and tumor-like conditions. Because of the distinctive nail anatomy, the clinical presentation of tumors is modified, thus rendering the diagnosis challenging. As nail biopsy and surgery are painful procedures associated with an increased risk of permanent onychodystrophy, pre-operative diagnosis is desirable. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2019 Jan 29. Epub 2019 Jan 29.

Centro Médico Voth, Madrid, Spain.

We present a 41-year-old man with a hemionychodystrophy of the first toe, appearing as a longitudinal thickening of the nail plate, overcurved and with holes in its thickened free margin, thus leading to the clinical diagnosis of onychomatricoma. Complete excision showed typical nail plate of onychomatricoma and, underlying it, curvy disorganized neural-looking fascicles without atypia and with diffuse positivity for S100, interpreted as subungual neurofibroma (NF). Subungual NF is a very rare tumor, with only 12 previous cases reported. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2019 Feb;41(2):159-160

Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX.

J Cutan Aesthet Surg 2018 Jul-Sep;11(3):143-147

Department of Dermatology, Topiwala National Medical College and B. Y. L. Nair Charitable Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

The clinical diagnosis of benign and malignant nail tumors can be difficult. Dermoscopy can provide a clue to the diagnosis but nail biopsy is the gold standard in establishing the diagnosis. Here, we report three cases of rare nail tumors, that is, onychopapilloma, onychomatricoma, and subungual osteochondroma, which were diagnosed on histopathology and managed surgically. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Dermatology, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.

Skin Appendage Disord 2018 Aug 23;4(3):171-173. Epub 2017 Nov 23.

Fredric Brandt Endowed Professor of Dermatology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.

First described in 1992, onychomatricoma is a rare, benign, fibroepithelial tumor of the nail matrix with few reported cases in the literature. The tumor predominately affects the fingers of Caucasian women during the 5th decade of life and is typically slow growing and painless. The authors present a unique clinical presentation of a giant onychomatricoma in a darker-skinned 60-year-old South Asian individual who presented with a large dome-shaped nail that was smooth, shiny, and green. Read More

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2019 Mar-Apr;85(2):190-191

Department of Dermatology, Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Universitat Autónoma De Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2018 Nov 26;32(11):1874-1878. Epub 2018 Jun 26.

Department of Medical, Surgical and Neurological Science, Dermatology Section, S. Maria alle Scotte Hospital, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.

Onychomatricoma is a rare tumour that derives from the nail matrix and grows within the nail plate. The clinical presentation can mimic many other tumours and conditions, and surgical biopsy and histopathological examination are necessary to confirm the diagnosis. As nail surgery is a painful experience for the patient and sometimes can leave permanent onychodistrophy, more precise preoperative diagnosis is needed to distinguish onychomatricoma from other nail diseases more accurately and to limit surgical interventions. Read More

Skin Appendage Disord 2018 Apr 13;4(2):125-127. Epub 2017 Sep 13.

Dermatology Department, 12 de Octubre University Hospital, Madrid, Spain.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2018 Oct 27;32(10):1638-1644. Epub 2018 May 27.

Dermatology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a good treatment option for epithelial neoplasms, especially when localized in areas where tissue conservation is crucial, such as the nail unit (NU). MMS is a method of radical excision offering high cure rates due to the margin control and functional preservation. Our aim is to provide a review on the use of MMS for the treatment of the most common nail tumours. Read More

An Bras Dermatol 2018 Jan-Feb;93(1):160-161

Dermatology Service at Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo (HSPE) - São Paulo (SP), Brazil.

Ann Dermatol Venereol 2018 Apr 24;145(4):302-303. Epub 2018 Feb 24.

Service de dermatologie, centre hospitalier Lyon-Sud, 165, chemin du Grand-Revoyet, 69495 Pierre-Bénite cedex, France. Electronic address:

Clin Exp Dermatol 2018 Jul 23;43(5):623-626. Epub 2018 Feb 23.

Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Dermatology 2017 23;233(2-3):184-191. Epub 2017 Aug 23.

Department of Dermatology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud - Pierre Bénite, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Background: Subungual squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC) is the most frequent tumor of the nail apparatus. Its diagnosis is often missed or delayed because the clinical presentation is atypical and can mimic other conditions. Accurate diagnosis can only be made by performing an appropriate surgical biopsy, but biopsy is painful and often leaves definitive dystrophic scars. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2019 Feb;41(2):e15-e16

Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX.

Skin Appendage Disord 2017 Mar 8;3(1):57-58. Epub 2017 Feb 8.

Dermatology Department, Hospital Universitario "Dr. José Eleuterio González," Monterrey, São Paulo, Brazil.

Skin Appendage Disord 2017 Mar 26;3(1):32-35. Epub 2017 Jan 26.

Inova Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, Fairfax, VA, USA.

J Foot Ankle Surg 2017 Sep - Oct;56(5):1095-1098. Epub 2017 May 27.

Residency Director, Westside Regional Medical Center, Plantation, FL.

Onychomatricoma is a rare benign neoplasm of the nail matrix first described by Baran and Kint in 1992. Fewer than 80 cases of onychomatricoma have been described in the literature, 15 of which were initially misdiagnosed and treated as onychomycosis. We present the case of a 66-year-old male with thickening and linear xanthonychia of the hallux nail plate secondary to an onychomatricoma misdiagnosed as onychomycosis. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2017 Apr 21;2017. Epub 2017 Apr 21.

Department of Dermatology, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal.

Onychomatricoma is a rare benign tumour of the nail matrix first described in 1992, and since then, no more than 80 cases have been reported. Despite distinct clinical characteristics, it is frequently misdiagnosed as onychomycosis partly due to remaining an unknown entity. The authors present the case of a patient with a 30-year history of nail abnormalities with more recent growth to alarming dimensions. Read More

J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 2017 Apr;15(4):367-386

Department of Dermatology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

The nail apparatus is an integral part of the functional unit of the digital tip. Although overall uncommon, all cells and tissues occurring in this area can give rise to neoplastic lesions. Given the special anatomical location, such tumors frequently show morphological and symptom-related differences compared to similar lesions located elsewhere on the skin. Read More

Australas J Dermatol 2018 Feb 23;59(1):e66-e69. Epub 2017 Mar 23.

Dermatology Department, Municipal Public Hospital of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Onychomatricoma (OM) presenting as a longitudinal melanonychia is a very uncommon clinical presentation with very few cases in the literature. Our aim in this article is to report four cases of pigmented OM, and describe their clinical and dermoscopic findings and the importance of the differential diagnoses, especially with melanoma. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2017 ;161:D903

OLVG Oost, afd. Dermatologie, Amsterdam.

The authors present a 43-year-old woman with a yellow, swollen toe nail of the right foot. This nail was lesioned 20 years before. The proximal nail fold of the right hallux was erythematous and indurated. Read More

Clin Exp Dermatol 2017 Feb 28. Epub 2017 Feb 28.

Department of Dermatology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Background: Amelanotic nail tumours are difficult to diagnose. Dermoscopy is an accessible tool successfully used in diagnosis of amelanotic or melanotic skin tumours. We have previously shown the usefulness of dermoscopy in the preoperative diagnosis of onychomatricoma (OM). Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2017 Jul;39(7):e97-e101

*The Laboratoire Central d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital L. Pasteur, University of Nice, Nice, France; and †Nail's Dermatology Consultations, Cannes, France.

Onychocytic matricoma (OCM) is a benign tumor of adnexal keratinocytes in which there is complete cytodifferentiation toward the germinative cells of the nail matrix, the keratogenous zone cells, and cells of the nail plate. Several microscopic variants of OCM were initially recognized; acanthotic type, acanthotic and papillomatous type, keratogenous type, and melanocytic as slight proliferation of dendritic melanocytes within the basaloid cells. This study reports an additional histopathologic variant of OCM. Read More

J Cutan Aesthet Surg 2016 Oct-Dec;9(4):270-273

Sector of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The authors present a case of onychomatricoma, a rare benign tumour of the nail matrix, first described by Baran and Kint in 1992. The lesion appeared on the proximal nail fold, covering half the nail of the second left finger. The nail was thickened and yellowish with longitudinal melanonychia. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2017 Feb;76(2S1):S19-S21

Department of Dermatology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address:

Acta Chir Plast Fall 2016;58(1):43-45

Onychomatricoma is a rare benign fibroepithelial tumour that originates from the nail matrix and can affect the nail bed of fingers and toes. Onychomatricoma may represent a premalignant lesion and although the etiology is still not fully understood, a previous finger trauma is considered the main predisposing factor. Unlike previous scientific articles we report a case of a "non traumatic" onychomatricoma in a 60 years old woman underlining the clinical and histological features to distinguish this uncommon lesion from other lesions originating from the nail apparatus. Read More

Case Rep Dermatol Med 2016 13;2016:1853495. Epub 2016 Jul 13.

Department of Dermatology, Sainte Elisabeth Hospital, 5000 Namur, Belgium.

Onychomatricoma is a rare and benign tumour of the nail matrix but originates rarely from the ventral portion of the proximal nail fold. This tumour is characterised by fingerlike projections that invade the nail plate. This lesion, of unknown aetiology, is typically asymptomatic with slow progression. Read More

Skin Appendage Disord 2016 May 22;1(4):209-12. Epub 2016 Apr 22.

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Fla., USA.

Nail dermoscopy is helpful in the differential diagnosis of nail disorders including onychomycosis and pigmented and nonpigmented nail tumors. We report two cases of onychomatricoma with concurrent onychomycosis of the same digit. In both cases, dermoscopy of the nail plate exhibited features of onychomatricoma, whereas dermoscopy of the distal free edge revealed features of onychomycosis. Read More

Skin Appendage Disord 2016 May 20;1(4):202-8. Epub 2016 Apr 20.

Nail Disorders Unit, Second Department of Dermatology, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Onychomatricoma is a rare benign fibroepithelial filamentous tumor originating from the nail matrix. It typically presents with the clinical tetrad of xanthonychia, pachyonychia, proximal splinter hemorrhages and increased transverse overcurvature of the nail plate. The giant variant can easily confuse the clinician due to its extensive nail dystrophy that can mask the characteristic features of this tumor. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2017 Jan;39(1):40-44

*Laboratoire Central d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital L. Pasteur,University of Nice, France; †Nail's Dermatology Consultations, Cannes, France; ‡UOC Dermatologia, Ospedale Civile, Imperia, Italia; and §Division of Genetic of Skin Carcinogenesis, Section of Normal and Neoplastic Epidermal Differentiation, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.

The authors have recently proposed to use the name pachyonychia as an umbrella term that includes 2 distinctly different entities in the form of congenital pachyonychia and acquired longitudinal pachyonychia. Congenital pachyonychia is defined by a diffuse hyperkeratosis of the nail bed. Acquired longitudinal pachyonychia correspond to the true definition of pachyonychia, that is, a thickened nail plate without subungual keratosis. Read More

Cutis 2016 Apr;97(4):E15-8

Division of Dermatology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, USA.

Onychomatricoma (OM) is a rare tumor originating from the nail matrix. Fingernail involvement is twice as common as toenail involvement. Onychomatricoma is the only tumor that actively produces a nail plate. Read More

Ann Dermatol 2016 Apr 31;28(2):237-41. Epub 2016 Mar 31.

Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Onychomatricoma is a rare tumor of the nail matrix. Until now, few cases of onychomatricoma have been reported in the literature. Immunohistochemically, CD10, a marker of the onychodermis, is expressed in the stroma of the onychomatricoma. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2016 Sep;38(9):664-71

*The Laboratoire Central d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital L. Pasteur, University of Nice, Nice, France; †Nail's Dermatology Consultations, Cannes, France; ‡UOC Dermatologia, Ospedale Civile, Imperia, Italia; §Division of Genetic of Skin Carcinogenesis, Section of Normal and Neoplastic Epidermal Differentiation, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; ¶Department of Pathology, West Kent Oncology Center, Maidstone Hospital, Hermitage Lane, England; ‖Service de Chirurgie Plastique, University of Nice, Nice, France; and **Institut Polyclinique de Cannes, Cannes, France.

Background: Besides onychomatricoma (OM), which shows a clinical band pattern of nail plate thickening, 2 new onychomatrical tumors with this clinical feature have recently been described: onychocytic matricoma (OCM) and in situ onychocytic carcinoma.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to present 4 cases of OCMs and compare their clinical and histopathologic characteristics with usual OMs.

Methods: We studied 4 cases of OCMs with nail clipping in 3 cases and an extensive immunohistochemical study for hair-related keratins and epithelial keratins. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2016 Feb 6;55(2):e108-10. Epub 2015 Nov 6.

Department of Dermatology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Indian J Dermatol 2015 Sep-Oct;60(5):523

Department of Dermatology, Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical college and hospital, Kalitheerthalkuppam, Madagadipet, Pondicherry, India.

Giant onychomatricoma is a rare fibroepithelial nail matrix tumor with only two previous reports in literature, from Mexico. An 80-year-old female patient presented with a progressively painless mass in the left great toe nail, following trauma, of 2 years duration. On examination there was a single, hard, immobile mass of size 4 × 3 × 2 cm with proximal hyperpigmentation of the left great toe nail. Read More

Cutis 2015 Aug;96(2):121-4

Teaching and Research Office, Centro Dermatológico Federico Lleras Acosta, Ave 1, No 13A-61, Bogotá, Colombia.

Onychomatricoma is a subungual tumor that is clinically characterized by banded or diffuse thickening, yellowish discoloration, splinter hemorrhages, and transverse overcurvature of the nail plate. It is often and easily misdiagnosed because the condition is not well known and rarely has been described. We report the case of a 45-year-old man with a subungual tumor on the right index finger that fulfills the criteria of onychomatricoma. Read More

Dermatology 2015 20;231(2):177-83. Epub 2015 Jun 20.

Department of Dermatology, Centre Hospitalier Lyon-Sud - Pierre Bénite, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France.

Background: Onychomatricoma is a benign tumor of the nail matrix with a precise histopathological definition but many different clinical features and differential diagnoses.

Objectives: The diagnosis of onychomatricoma is based on the pathological examination of a surgical specimen. The objective of this study was to define preoperative diagnostic criteria using noninvasive investigations: observation and dermoscopy. Read More

Dermatol Surg 2015 Jun;41(6):753-5

Section of Dermatology, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia The Skin Surgery Centre, Metairie, Louisiana Section of Dermatology, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia.

Br J Dermatol 2015 Nov 27;173(5):1305-7. Epub 2015 Aug 27.

Dermatology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

An Bras Dermatol 2015 Mar-Apr;90(2):265-7

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

A sixty-one year old white female was referred to the Dermatology Department to treat an ingrown nail in the inner corner of the left hallux. Examination of the entire nail unit showed the presence of xanthonychia in the outer corner besides thickening and increase in the transverse curvature of the nail plate. Dermoscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance of the free edge of the nail plate detected characteristic signs of onychomatricoma, a diagnosis that was later confirmed by anatomopathological exam. Read More

Am J Dermatopathol 2015 Jun;37(6):473-6

Department of Dermatology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

A 57-year-old woman presented with a 3-year history of a thickened, yellowed, over-curved nail plate of the left second toe. The proximal nail fold had an associated nodule. When observed head-on, the distal nail plate demonstrated multiple circular perforations. Read More

Dermatol Clin 2015 Apr 24;33(2):289-301. Epub 2015 Feb 24.

Department of Dermatology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3600 Spruce Street, 2 Maloney, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

"Nail clipping is a simple technique for diagnosis of several nail unit dermatoses. This article summarizes the practical approach, utility, and histologic findings of a nail clipping in evaluation of onychomycosis, nail unit psoriasis, onychomatricoma, subungual hematoma, melanonychia, and nail cosmetics, and the forensic applications of this easily obtained specimen. It reviews important considerations in optimizing specimen collection, processing methods, and efficacy of special stains in several clinical contexts. Read More

Dermatol Clin 2015 Apr 14;33(2):197-205. Epub 2015 Feb 14.

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, 1600 Northwest 10th Avenue, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address:

This article reviews 6 nail disorders that, although easy to diagnose, are misdiagnosed frequently by dermatologists and general practitioners. Diagnostic clues are emphasized to familiarize readers with features that indicate the correct diagnosis. We focus on two common tumors (onychomatricoma and onychopapilloma), two rare genetic conditions that can be diagnosed owing to nail changes (Darier disease and nail patella syndrome), and two uncommon acquired disorders (the yellow nail syndrome and lichen striatus). Read More

Indian J Dermatol 2015 Mar-Apr;60(2):212

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, K.J. Somaiya Medical College, Mumbai, India.

Onychomatricoma is a tumor of the nail matrix which often presents with alterations in the nail plate while the tumor itself is concealed beneath the nail plate. It is a benign, biphasic fibroepithelial tumor which has to be differentiated from other subungual and periungual tumors. We report a rare case of onychomatricoma and describe a three-dimensional histopathological analysis and immunohistochemical patterns of onychomatricoma. Read More

J Cutan Pathol 2015 May 6;42(5):361-7. Epub 2015 Apr 6.

Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, China.

Neoplasms originating from nail matrix keratinocytes are very rare. Onychomatricoma and onychocytic matricoma are benign tumors arising from nail matrix keratinocytes. Only one case of onychocytic carcinoma, the malignant counterpart of onychocytic matricoma, has been reported in the literature. Read More

Skin Appendage Disord 2015 Mar 3;1(1):14-7. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Fla., USA.

Onychomatricoma and glomus tumor are two rare subungual neoplasms with distinct clinical and histopathological features. We report a case of onychomatricoma associated with a glomus tumor in the subungual region of the same finger in a 45-year-old woman. Histopathological examination revealed characteristic findings of both onychomatricoma and glomus tumor. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2016 Mar 29;30(3):525-7. Epub 2014 Dec 29.

Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology Department, Hospital General de México "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga", Mexico City, Mexico.

Ann Dermatol Venereol 2014 Oct 16;141(10):634-5. Epub 2014 Sep 16.

Service de dermatologie, hôpital du Haut-Levêque, CHU de Bordeaux, avenue de Magellan, 33600 Pessac, France. Electronic address:

J Foot Ankle Surg 2015 Jul-Aug;54(4):723-5. Epub 2014 Jul 22.

Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Pigmented onychomatricoma is a rare nail unit tumor that can clinically mimic nail unit melanoma. We report the case of a 63-year-old male with new-onset longitudinal melanonychia involving his right second toe. An excisional biopsy was performed and demonstrated pigmented onychomatricoma. Read More