Living with Onychocytic matricoma
A rare, usually benign nail tumor that thickens part of the nail and may darken it.
Understanding Onychocytic matricoma
People often have thickening of the affected part of the nail. The tumor may be pigmented, causing a black or brown stripe in the nail (melanonychia), or not pigmented. It generally occurs sporadically in people with no family history. GARD lists onset as a variety of ages.
Signs & symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD says people often have:
- Thickening of part of the nail
- Black or brown color in the nail (melanonychia), in some people
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include cancer specialists and skin, hair, and nail specialists.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- Cancer specialists (oncologists); Skin, hair, and nail specialists (dermatologists)
- Expert care
- Ask about multidisciplinary care centers for rare conditions
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with Children's Skin Disease Foundation
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
GARD says the exact cause is unknown. It generally occurs by chance in people with no family history.
Also known as: acanthoma of nail matrix; acanthoma of the nail matrix
Patient organizations
- Children's Skin Disease FoundationSkin diseases · United States
Broader rare-disease groups
- Global GenesRare Diseases · United States
- National Organization for Rare DisordersRare Diseases · United States
- Genetic AllianceRare Diseases · United States
- RARE FoundationRare Diseases · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Onychocytic matricoma.
Explore research for Onychocytic matricoma
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- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
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- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
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