Evaluation of Nail Changes in Patients with Psoriasis and Onychomycosis

A recent study published in Dermatologic Therapy found that nail changes in patients with psoriasis receiving conventional and anti-TNF-α therapy are higher than in patients not receiving treatment, so nail changes should be evaluated in the presence of onychomycosis.

Researchers aimed to determine the frequency of onychomycosis and responsible pathogens in patients with psoriasis, reveal their differences compared with the population without psoriasis, and determine the factors in this study. A total of 81 patients with nail disorders diagnosed with psoriasis were included in the study.

Onychomycosis was found in 27.2% of patients with psoriasis. Nail involvement of psoriasis was found in 68.8% of patients not receiving treatment, 31.3% of patients using biologic agents, 31.3% of patients receiving topical treatment, and 5.9% of patients receiving conventional treatment. Fungal growth was observed in 23.5% of patients with psoriasis.

“Since the prevalence of onychomycosis in psoriasis patients receiving conventional and anti-TNF-α therapy is higher than in patients not receiving treatment, nail changes in these patients should be evaluated in more detail for the presence of onychomycosis,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Bozdemir NY, Yuksel EI, Toraman ZA, Cicek D, Demir B, Gunbey F. Factors affecting onychomycosis in patients with psoriasis. Dermatol Ther. Published online April 14, 2022. doi:10.1111/dth.15513