Severe onycholysis in a card illusionist with alopecia areata universalis.

In patients with alopecia areata (AA), nail abnormalities due to nail matrix inflammation are common and usually not severe. We report the case of a 23-year-old man with AA universalis, who developed severe abnormalities of all his fingernails. Systemic steroids improved the onycholysis that had an important impact on the patient's job, as he was a card illusionist.