Often overlooked, in fact, the appearance of your nails can be a sign of certain health problems. Normal fingernails should be pink in color and the size and shape of your finger. But sometimes, changes occur with black lines appearing on the nails that make you worry. Is this condition dangerous?
What causes black lines on nails?
Maybe you are more familiar with melanoma which refers to skin cancer. Although it is more common in the skin, melanoma can also occur in the nails which are marked by the appearance of black lines. This condition is known as subungual melanoma.
Unlike skin melanoma, which grows on the surface of the skin, subungual melanoma develops in the nail matrix. The nail matrix is the main part whose job is to form keratin while protecting the tissue in the nail layers.
Most cases of skin melanoma are caused by exposure to sunlight, but not by the appearance of black lines on the nails.
This condition can be triggered by injury or trauma, and often affects adults with dark skin. The appearance of this black line is quite difficult to identify because it often resembles a bruise.
What are the symptoms of subungual melanoma other than a black line on the nail?
Again, the causes of skin melanoma are different, so the symptoms that indicate subungual melanoma are different. The main symptoms of this condition include:
1. Brown or black lines appear on the nails without injury.
2. The nail line develops at an ever-increasing size.
3. This black line does not go away.
4. Nails are thin, brittle, and uneven in shape.
5. The skin around the nails tends to be darker.
6. Sometimes bleeding appears in the discolored nail area.
The appearance of dark lines on the nails often occurs on the big toenails and toenails. Melanoma that continues to grow on the nails can cause bleeding and deformity of the nails.
It’s important to remember that not all cases of subungual melanoma are marked by a change in nail color. Always consult your doctor if there are changes in your body that are not normal.
How to diagnose this condition?
A black line on the nail indicating subungual melanoma is quite difficult to detect on your own. That is why it is recommended that you see a doctor if you find unusual nail changes or growth.
First of all, the doctor will do a physical assessment of the nails first. If the condition you are experiencing is suspected to be subungual melanoma, the doctor will take a biopsy to take a small sample so that it can be further identified.
A biopsy may also be used to remove skin cells and abnormal tissue around the nail.
If the diagnosis shows that the black line is subungual melanoma, then you may need to do some further tests to assess how far the cancer cells have spread.
The severity of subungual melanoma will be grouped depending on how many cancer cells appear and how they spread.
Can subungual melanoma be treated?
The only way to treat black lines on the nails caused by subungual melanoma is surgery. The goal is to stop the growth of abnormal tissue in the nails by taking part or even all of the nails.
However, if cancer has spread to other parts of the body, treatment will later be readjusted according to the severity.
Your doctor may recommend radiation therapy (radiotherapy), which helps reduce pain and slows the spread of cancer cells. Unfortunately, this therapy is not able to completely cure subungual melanoma.