Serious Symptoms Of Subungual Melanoma

Nails That Separate From The Nail Bed

Nails that separate from the nail bed or onycholysis can indicate an individual has subungual melanoma. Onycholysis refers to when the skin underneath the nail becomes detached from the bottom surface of the nail plate, which causes the nail to appear to the eye as a different color because it is no longer in direct contact with the pink flesh underneath it. A nail may appear white, yellow, purple, green, or gray when it has become separated from the nail bed. Nail separation from the nail bed usually does not take place until the subungual melanoma has started to push the nail plate away from the underlying skin. The accumulation of cancerous cells underneath the nail is typically concentrated in one area or side of the nail. As cancer grows, it can cause the rest of the surrounding nail to lift from the nail bed and become detached from the underlying skin. Onycholysis typically occurs in patients with subungual melanoma that has not caused the nail plate to become weak enough to crack but lift with the cancerous growth instead.

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