Question:easy
Which of the following nail findings is seen in the condition shown below?
Which of the following nail findings is seen in the condition shown below?
Show Hint
Pin-point holes in the nail plate - think psoriasis.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Pterygium
- Pigmentation
- Pitting
- Ridges
Show Solution
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Describe what the photo shows - numerous tiny pin-point pits dotting the surface of the nail plate, the hallmark of nail pitting.
Step 2: Understand the mechanism. Brief patchy disease of the proximal nail matrix produces clusters of parakeratotic cells that crumble away once the plate reaches the surface, leaving small depressions.
Step 3: Link it clinically. This pattern is most characteristic of psoriasis and is also encountered in alopecia areata and chronic eczema, so the finding is pitting.
Step 4: Separate it from the others: a pterygium is a scarring band, pigmentation is a colour change, and ridging is a series of grooves or lines. The punctate holes shown correspond only to pitting.
\[\boxed{\text{Pitting}}\]
Step 2: Understand the mechanism. Brief patchy disease of the proximal nail matrix produces clusters of parakeratotic cells that crumble away once the plate reaches the surface, leaving small depressions.
Step 3: Link it clinically. This pattern is most characteristic of psoriasis and is also encountered in alopecia areata and chronic eczema, so the finding is pitting.
Step 4: Separate it from the others: a pterygium is a scarring band, pigmentation is a colour change, and ridging is a series of grooves or lines. The punctate holes shown correspond only to pitting.
\[\boxed{\text{Pitting}}\]
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