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A horizontal depression is visible across both thumb nails. This patient had had a severe viral illness 3 months previously. Nail growth is temporarily disturbed during illness and these ridges, known as Beau's lines, appear subsequently across all the nails. The finger nail takes about 5 months to grow out. Patients do not usually notice the lines until they are half way up the nail i.e. 2 - 3 months after the illness. |
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The damage to the nail is more acute here resulting in breakage of the nail. This patient was very ill, having received chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia. He subsequently developed graft-versus-host disease. |