Spoon nails, also known as koilonychia, appear as concave, spoon-shaped deformities of the nail plate. This condition gives the nails a scooped-out appearance, resembling a spoon.
Characteristics of Spoon Nails
Spoon nails are characterized by the following features, according to medical references:
- Shape: The nail is thin and brittle.
- Concavity: The nail plate is centrally depressed.
- Edges: The edges of the nail are everted (turned outwards) laterally.
- Orientation: The concave nail dystrophy can be placed either horizontally or vertically.
In essence, instead of the normal slight convexity, the nail curves upwards, creating a hollow. The reference indicates that this abnormality involves thin, brittle, concave nail dystrophy either placed horizontally or vertically, where the finger or toenail plate seems to be centrally depressed and everted laterally.
