Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Subscribe American Journal of Medicine Free Newsletter
Patient CareCase StudiesMuehrcke's Lines

Muehrcke’s Lines

PIIS0002934310002974.gr2.smlA 29-year-old woman with no significant medical history developed anasarca over the course of approximately 2 weeks. On the basis of renal biopsy, a diagnosis of minimal change disease was made. Her nephrotic syndrome was poorly responsive to steroid therapy, and despite high doses of prednisone of up to 120 mg/d, her serum albumin and proteinuria remained 1 g/dL and 10 g/d, respectively. Approximately 1 month after the onset of her symptoms, she developed transverse, nonpalpable, white lines on all her fingernails (Figure). These nail changes are consistent with a diagnosis of Muehrcke’s lines.

To read this article in its entirety, please visit our website.

— Nicholas Short, BA, Chirayu Shah, MD

This article originally appeared in the November 2010 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

Previous article
Next article

Latest Posts

lupus

Sarcoidosis with Lupus Pernio in an Afro-Caribbean Man

A 54-year-old man of Afro-Caribbean ancestry presented with a 2-month history of nonproductive cough, 10-day history of constant subjective fevers, and a 1-day history...
Flue Vaccine

Flu Vaccination to Prevent Cardiovascular Mortality (video)

0
"Influenza can cause a significant burden on patients with coronary artery disease," write Barbetta et al in The American Journal of Medicine. For this...
varicella zoster

Varicella Zoster Virus-Induced Complete Heart Block

0
Complete heart block is usually caused by chronic myocardial ischemia and fibrosis but can also be induced by bacterial and viral infections. The varicella...
Racial justice in healthcare

Teaching Anti-Racism in the Clinical Environment

0
"Teaching Anti-Racism in the Clinical Environment: The Five-Minute Moment for Racial Justice in Healthcare" was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The...
Invisible hand of the market

The ‘Invisible Hand’ Doesn’t Work for Prescription Drugs

0
Pharmaceutical innovation has been responsible for many “miracles of modern medicine.” Reliance on the “invisible hand” of Adam Smith to allocate resources in the...
Joseph S. Alpert, MD

New Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors

0
"New Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors" by AJM Editor-in Chief Joseph S. Alpert, MD was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The...
Cardiovascular risk from noncardiac activities

Cardiac Risk Related to Noncardiac & Nonsurgical Activities

0
"Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk for Noncardiac and Nonsurgical Activities" was originally published in the April 2023 issue of The American Journal of Medicine. Cardiovascular risk...