Hereditary leukonychia

An apparently healthy family with an incomplete type of leukonychia in IImembers is described. Both fingernails and toenail were affected, except in three members where only the thumbnails showed a marked leukonychia. The lunula covered the greater part of the affected nail was chalky white, and in between tlere was a narrow zone of normal red color. Microscopic examination of the whiter distal part of the nails revealed marked parakeratosis with an abundance of both basophilic nuclear elements and eosinophilic structures.The mechanism for the observed changesin nail color are discussed. the disorder seems to be inherited in a simple dominantfashion.