Half and half nails (also known as "Lindsay's nails") show the
proximal
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ...
portion of the
nail
Nail or Nails may refer to:
In biology
* Nail (anatomy), toughened protective protein-keratin (known as alpha-keratin, also found in hair) at the end of an animal digit, such as fingernail
* Nail (beak), a plate of hard horny tissue at the tip ...
white and the
distal half red, pink, or brown, with a sharp line of demarcation between the two halves.
[James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. .] The darker distal discoloration does not fade on pressure,
which differentiates Lindsay's nails from
Terry's nails
Terry's nails is a physical condition in which a person's fingernails or toenailsFreedberg, et al. (2003). ''Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine''. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. . appear white with a characteristic "ground glass" appearance wit ...
. The discoloration is thought to be due to
β-melanocyte–stimulating hormone.
Seventy percent of
hemodialysis
Hemodialysis, also spelled haemodialysis, or simply dialysis, is a process of purifying the blood of a person whose kidneys are not working normally. This type of dialysis achieves the extracorporeal removal of waste products such as creatinin ...
patients and 56% of renal transplant patients have at least one type of nail abnormality. Absence of
lunula, splinter hemorrhage, and half and half nails were significantly more common in hemodialysis patients, while leukonychia was significantly more common in transplant patients.
[Freedberg, et al. (2003). ''Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine''. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. .]
See also
*
List of cutaneous conditions
References
External links
Conditions of the skin appendages
{{Disorders of skin appendages