MNT Nail Anatomy & Disorders 5

Question 1

Onychoschizia, or lamellar nail splitting, most commonly results from:

Accepted Answer

Repeated wetting and drying cycles

Answer

Repeated exposure to water and detergents weakens the distal nail plate, causing horizontal layered splitting.

Question 2

Which nail finding is considered a classic sign of psoriasis?

Accepted Answer

Oil-drop (salmon patch) discoloration

Answer

The salmon-patch or oil-drop sign in psoriasis appears as a yellow-pink discoloration of the nail bed visible through the plate.

Question 3

The cuticle (eponychium) functions mainly to:

Accepted Answer

Seal the space between the nail plate and proximal fold to prevent infection

Answer

The cuticle acts as a protective barrier sealing the proximal nail fold against bacterial and fungal pathogens.

Question 4

Half-and-half nails (Lindsay's nails) are most strongly associated with:

Accepted Answer

Chronic renal failure

Answer

Half-and-half nails show a proximal white half and distal red-brown half and are classically linked to chronic renal failure.

Question 5

In distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), the infection typically begins at the:

Accepted Answer

Hyponychium and distal nail bed

Answer

DLSO starts at the hyponychium and progresses proximally along the nail bed, causing subungual hyperkeratosis and onycholysis.

(MNT) Certified Medical Nail Technician Practice Test