AbstractBackground: 150 patients of both sexes aged between 18 to 65 years were studied for different nail diseases to rule out the cause. Method: The patients who were visiting to OPD of Skin with complaint of nails were studied. To confirm the onychomycosis nail samples were processed by direct microscopy of the KOH mount followed by two sets of culture on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar and incubated at 25ºC and 37ºC and were examined once a week for a period of 4-6 weeks to look for fungal causative agent. The routine Blood examination were carried out to rule out Anaemia (Hb%), Diabetic mellitus, Esinophilic count.
Results: 58(38.6%) had onychomycosis, 11(7.3%) pseudomonas nail infection, 13(8.6%) acute paronychia, 16(10.6%) periungal verrucae, 4(2.6%) of psoriasis, 7(4.6%) lichen planus, 2(1.3%) alopecia Areata, 5(3.5%) chronic paronychia, 6(4%) longitudinal melanonychia, 7(4.6%) longitudinal Erythronychia, 9(6%) subungualexostosis, 12(8%) digital nail cyst. Conclusion: This pragmatic approach towards nail diseases at different ages, in both sexes will certainly help the physician, dermatologist to treat efficiently because most of the nail diseases are neoplastic and life threatening.
Keywords: Nail; Onychomycosis; Paronychia; Subungual tumor, Melanonychia.