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Normal Nail Anatomy, Normal Nail Histology, and Common Reaction Patterns

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Scher and Daniel’s Nails

Abstract

The human nail, the horny covering of the upper surface of the tip of each finger and toe, is a set of complex structures that can most accurately be called the nail unit. The visible nail plate is the ultimate product of the continuous pathway of maturation that occurs in this very active, specialized keratinizing unit. It is mainly through observations of this plate that patient and clinician become aware of the presence of disease in the unit as a whole. However, it is important to understand the functional and structural organization of the deeper, concealed components of the system, which account for the external findings clinically seen in the nails. This chapter deals with those components that are responsible for development of a normal nail plate. For the most part, morphologic components are discussed, but physiologic aspects of nail growth are also included.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Quantum Pathology, Waltham, MA, USA

    Aldo González-Serva

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  1. Aldo González-Serva
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Adam I. Rubin

  2. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Nathaniel J. Jellinek

  3. Department of Dermatology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA

    C. Ralph Daniel III

  4. Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA

    Richard K. Scher

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González-Serva, A. (2018). Normal Nail Anatomy, Normal Nail Histology, and Common Reaction Patterns. In: Rubin, A.I., Jellinek, N.J., Daniel, C.R., Scher, R.K. (eds) Scher and Daniel’s Nails. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65649-6_4

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