Onycholysis is a common disorder with many causes. It is known to be associated with thyroid disease (especially hyperthyroidism), but physicians probably do not routinely screen for underlying thyroid disease.
Objective:
To study the association of onycholysis and thyroid disease.
Methods:
We report three patients with onycholysis who were investigated for thyroid disease.
Results:
In two patients, onycholysis was the presenting sign of previously undiagnosed hypothyroidism, whereas the third developed onycholysis while undergoing therapy for hypothyroidism.
Conclusions:
These three cases appear to suggest that patients with unexplained onycholysis should be screened for asymptomatic thyroid disease.
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