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Correspondence
Sep 2011

Nail Clipping Diagnosis of Onychomatricoma

Author Affiliations

Author Affiliations: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida (Drs Miteva, Zaiac, Romanelli, and Tosti); Dermatology Clinic, Federal University of Santa Catarina Hospital, Florian ópolis, SC, Brazil (Dr de Farias); and Greater Miami Skin and Laser Center, Miami Beach, Florida (Dr Zaiac).

Arch Dermatol. 2011;147(9):1118-1119. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2011.240

Onychomatricoma is a benign nail matrix tumor clinically characterized by a thickened, overcurved nail plate with multiple holes at the distal margin of the nail plate.1 Histologically, onychomatricoma is a fibroepithelial tumor of the nail matrix that presents as characteristic epithelial digitations in the nail plate.2,3 Since in onychomatricoma the nail plate is perforated by the fibroepithelial projections of the tumor,4 we suggest that a nail clipping may be an easy method to point to the correct diagnosis. Immunohistochemical analysis for cytokeratin may be added to highlight the matrix epithelium.

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