- 2024, Volume 82 - Number 2
- Published: May 20, 2024
Hutchinson’s sign in congenital nail matrix nevus
Ana Ferreirinha 1, Maria C. Fialho 2, Pedro M. Garrido 3, Joaninha C. Rosa 4, Cecília Moura 3
1 Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Hospital de Santo António dos Capuchos, Unidade Local de Saúde São José; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas; Centro Clínico Académico de Lisboa. Lisboa, Portugal; 2 Dermatology and Venereology Department, Santo António dos Capuchos Hospital, São José Local Health Unit, Lisbon, Portugal; 3 Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; 4 Department of Anatomic Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Lisbon. Portugal
Ana Ferreirinha, Maria C. Fialho, Pedro M. Garrido, Joaninha C. Rosa, Cecília Moura
La información completa de afiliaciones y autor de correspondencia está disponible en la versión original en PDF.
*Correspondence: Ana Ferreirinha, Email not available
Abstract
Congenital nail matrix nevi (NMN) are a rare cause of melanonychia that may present with irregularity, asymmetry, and multicomponent pigmentation posing diagnostic challenges with subungual melanoma. We report a case of a 49-year-old female with longitudinal melanonychia and a 1-month recent pigmentation in the proximal nail fold. This sign is traditionally associated with malignancy, which further complicates the differentiation from acral melanoma. Therefore, a nail matrix biopsy was performed. Histopathologic examination revealed a nail matrix nevus. This procedure is crucial in suspicious cases, despite the risk of nail dystrophia. The evolution of these nevi into adulthood and their potential malignancy remains unclear, emphasizing the need for continued research and surveillance. This case highlights that congenital NMN often present with clinical and dermoscopic features of concern, mirroring those observed in subungual melanoma.
