Koilonychia

Description: Described as the loss of longitudinal and lateral convexity of the nail, with thinning and fraying of the distal portion. Or put simply – spoon-shaped nails.

Conditions Associated: More common • Physiological variant of normal • Soft nails with occupational damage Less common • Iron deficiency anaemia • Haemochromatosis – rare • Raynaud’s syndrome

Mechanism/S: The exact mechanism is not known. Koilonychia is associated with a soft nail bed and matrix, but why this occurs is unclear.27

Sign Value: There is little evidence on koilonychia as a sign in iron deficiency anaemia. Koilonychia