Purpura of the nail beds usually result from trauma, with causes of toe involvement including physical pressure on the toes, such as that seen in
surfboarding or
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
in which one must maintain balance with the toes, or when exogenous pressure is exerted from poorly fitting shoes.
[James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. .] Purpura beneath the nails may present similar to a
melanoma, a confusion that may result if the patient does not communicate the acuteness of onset.
See also
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Nail anatomy
A nail is a claw-like plate found at the tip of the Finger, fingers and Toe, toes on most primates. Nails correspond to the claws found in other animals. Fingernails and toenails are made of a tough protective protein called alpha-keratin, which i ...
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List of cutaneous conditions
References
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Conditions of the skin appendages