Nailfoldi

Nailfoldi is a term used in dermatology and anatomy to describe the nailfold region around the fingernails and toenails. The nailfold comprises the proximal and lateral nail folds that surround the nail plate, the surrounding cuticle, and the hyponychium at the distal edge. The area is lined by a thin epithelium with a rich capillary network, making it a common site for non-invasive microvascular assessment.

In clinical practice, assessment of the nailfold is important for diagnosing disorders that affect the microvasculature. Nailfold capillaroscopy—a technique using bright-field or polarized light microscopy or video imaging—allows visualization of capillaries in the nailfold bed to detect abnormalities such as capillary dilation, dropout, and bizarre loop formations. Patterns observed in nailfold capillaroscopy can help in diagnosing connective tissue diseases, particularly systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, and Raynaud’s phenomenon.

Nailfoldi findings may also be described in relation to local conditions such as paronychia (infection around the nail fold), inflammatory nail fold dermatitis, or trauma leading to nail fold swelling and ridging. Changes in nailfold appearance can accompany systemic conditions or local pathology.

Nailfoldi assessment is typically performed with the patient’s fingers at rest and during gentle warming; standardized protocols exist to improve reproducibility of capillary patterns. See also nailfold, nailfold capillaroscopy, paronychia, digits.