ABSTRACT
SIGNS At the beginning the color of the onycholytic nail plate is grayish-white and this is due to refraction of the light, because of the air which has accumulated under the nail plate (Fig. 15.1). Later, as onycholysis creates a subungual space, dirt, keratin debris, foreign bodies, and water can accumulate in this “cave.” Bacteria (Pseudomonas) (Fig. 15.2) or yeasts (Candida albicans) can grow, and the color of the nail plate changes, ranging from yellow to green, blue, or black.
