Characteristic nail lesions in Kawasaki disease: Case series and literature review

Abstract Kawasaki disease (KD) is vasculitis of unknown etiology in infants and young children. The diagnostic criteria for KD include major and minor symptoms, but various nail lesions are not described in detail. The aim of this study was to identify symptoms that are relatively found in nail of KD as diagnostic markers. After literature review, various nail lesions are classified as Beau’s lines, leukonychia, onychomadesis, orange‐brown chromonychia, and pincer nail deformity. The orange‐brown chromonychia is the most common nail lesion in KD. In this study, the authors found three cases of KD with orange‐brown chromonychia; two of these cases included rare dotted or splinter hemorrhages in the nail bed that were found on dermoscopic examination. The authors propose that these nail lesions, including hemorrhage of the nail bed, could be included as a helpful diagnosis of KD.