CASE REPORT
Unilateral Transverse Leukonychia in a Patient Receiving Isotretinoin Treatment with Concomitant Renal Impairment: A Case Report
Mohammed Saud Alsaidan1, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 17
E-location ID: e187437222302010
Publisher ID: e187437222302010
DOI: 10.2174/18743722-v17-e230206-2022-24
Article History:
Received Date: 28/11/2022Revision Received Date: 14/01/2023
Acceptance Date: 24/01/2023
Electronic publication date: 13/02/2023
Collection year: 2023

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Aims:
Leukonychia is a white discoloration of nails. Although it is usually clinically insignificant, it can serve as a clue for systemic diseases that is sometimes life-threatening.
Case Report:
A 24-year-old male patient, with resistant acne vulgaris not responding to topicals nor systemic antibiotics and with a history of renal impairment and untreated recurrent high blood pressure readings, was started on isotretinoin. Three months later, he presented with a unilateral true transverse leukonychia with a worsening renal impairment. The patient was started on antihypertensive medications. The patient was seen two months later with unilateral transverse leukonychia fading (moving distally).
Results:
Repeated laboratory tests showed slightly increased serum creatinine, improved but still high protein/creatinine ratio. The fading of leukonychia while continuing isotretinoin treatment and after starting antihypertensive medication that has a renal protective effect may indicate a renal-associated leukonychia.
Conclusion:
This is probably the first reported unilateral leukonychia without identified local/unilateral causes.