Onychauxis (Synonym: Hypertrophy of the Nail.)
Describe onychauxis.
Onychauxis, or hypertrophy of the nail, may take place in one or all directions, and this increase may be, and often is, accompanied by changes in shape, color, and direction of growth. One or all the nails may share in the process. As the result of lateral deviation of growth, the nail presses upon the surrounding tissues, producing a varying degree of inflammation—paronychia.
What is the etiology of hypertrophy of the nail?
The condition may be either congenital or acquired. In the latter instances it is usually the result of the extension to the matrix of such cutaneous diseases as psoriasis and eczema; or it is produced by constitutional maladies, such as syphilis.
Give the treatment of hypertrophy of the nail.
Treatment consists in the removal of the redundant nail-tissue by means of the knife or scissors; and, when dependent upon eczema or psoriasis, the employment of remedies suitable for these diseases. When it is the result of syphilis, the medication appropriate to this disease is to be employed.
In paronychia the nail should be frequently trimmed and a pledget of lint or cotton be interposed between the edge of the nail and the adjacent soft parts; astringent powders and lotions may often be employed with advantage; and in severe and persistent cases excision of the nail, partial or complete, may be found necessary.