Elkonyxis Associated With Habit-Tic Deformity: Two Case Reports

The document presents two case reports of elkonyxis, a rare nail dystrophy characterized by a punched-out appearance of the nail, associated with habit-tic deformity. In the first case, a 26-year-old woman had a painful papule with a punched-out defect on her thumbnail caused by picking at the nail plate. Histopathologic findings were consistent with pseudopyogenic granuloma. In the second case, a 46-year-old woman had a punched-out lesion at the lunula on her thumbnail due to habitually pushing back the fingernail cuticles. Both patients improved after being encouraged to stop their habitual behaviors. The report emphasizes the importance of dermatologists paying attention to patient history and habits when examining nail defects. The study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea. No conflicts of interest were declared.