Beau's lines

Beau's lines
ICD-10	L60.4
ICD-9	703.8

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

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Overview

Beau's lines are deep grooved lines that run from side to side on the fingernail. They may look like indentations or ridges in the nail plate. Beau's lines are the result of a temporary cessation of cell division in the nail matrix. This may be caused by an infection or problem in the nail fold, where the nail begins to form, or it may be caused by an injury to that area or a systemic process.

Historical Perspective

This condition of the nail was named by a French physician, Joseph Honoré Simon Beau (1806–1865), who first described it in 1846.

Causes

• Chemotherapy particularly cytotoxic agents
• Dermatologic disorders
• Diabetes
• Drugs
• Hypocalcemia
• Malnutrition
• Trauma

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	No underlying causes
Chemical / poisoning	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	Multiple underlying causes
Drug Side Effect	Multiple underlying causes, most notably chemotherapy
Ear Nose Throat	No underlying causes
Endocrine	Diabetes
Environmental	No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic	No underlying causes
Genetic	No underlying causes
Hematologic	No underlying causes
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	No underlying causes
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	No underlying causes
Neurologic	No underlying causes
Nutritional / Metabolic	Malnutrition
Obstetric/Gynecologic	No underlying causes
Oncologic	Chemotherapy
Opthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity	Chemotherapy
Psychiatric	No underlying causes
Pulmonary	No underlying causes
Renal / Electrolyte	Hypocalcemia
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	No underlying causes
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Trauma in general and to the nail in particular
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Deep sea diving

Physical examination

Nail bed: Beau's lines should be distinguished from Muehrcke's lines of the fingernails. While Beau's lines are actual ridges and indentations in the nail plate, Muehrcke's lines are areas of hypopigmentation without palpable ridges.

Recent Research on Beau's Lines

A researcher found Beau's lines in the fingernails of 6 divers following a deep saturation dive to a pressure equal to 335 meters of sea water, and in 2 of 6 divers following a similar dive to 305 meters.

External links

• Image of Beau's Lines at Johns Hopkins University
• Images of Beau's Lines