Brachyonychia Associated with Acroosteolysis in Chronic Kidney Disease: How Phalange Shape Influences Nail Morphology.

Brachyonychia is a rare manifestation in patients with chronic kidney disease. Longtime disease, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and hemodialysis are common conditions among those who present it. We evaluated 8 cases who presented brachyonychia in the nephrology department and compared the clinical versus the radiographic findings, and evaluated how the tissue adjusts to the underlying bone structure, giving different forms to the nails. We conclude that brachyonychia and acroosteolysis in chronic kidney disease suggest long-term disease, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and hemodialysis, besides it being a good model on how the bony structure defines the soft tissue morphology.