Habit-tic–like and median nail–like dystrophies treated with multivitamins

Abstract

To the Editor: Habit-tic deformity (HTD), a nail dystrophy caused by repeated, habitual trauma to the nail matrix, commonly occurs on the thumbnail and creates a series of transverse ridges with a central depression. Medial canaliform nail dystrophy (MCND) represents a group of uncommon nail disorders of unknown etiology that may be related to HTD. MCND usually affects the thumbnail and resembles a fir tree, with transverse ridges that radiate from a paramedian canal. This report describes 2 patients with no prior history of trauma who presented with nail changes resembling HTD and MCND that were treated with multivitamins (Dermavite; MediNiche, Saint Louis, Mo).