Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 21: Our nails often reflect more than just cosmetic health—they can serve as windows into hidden medical conditions. One such subtle yet significant sign is known as Terry’s nails, a condition that may point to serious liver disease, including cirrhosis.

What Are Terry’s Nails?

First described in 1954 by British physician Dr Richard Terry, this nail abnormality is marked by a white, frosted appearance covering most of the nail bed, with only a narrow reddish-brown or pink band at the tip. Though often dismissed as a minor cosmetic change, it is strongly associated with liver cirrhosis. It may also occur in patients with heart failure, kidney disease, or diabetes.

Dr Terry described the condition as nails showing a “ground-glass-like opacity” that obscures the lunula (half-moon at the nail base), with only the distal edge retaining normal colour. His observations linked the condition to over 80% of patients suffering from liver cirrhosis, most commonly due to alcohol abuse.

Medical Research and Findings

A recent study titled “Association of Terry’s Nails with Liver Cirrhosis” evaluated 1,000 patients in hepatology and gastroenterology clinics between 2016 and 2020. Of them, 117 were found to have Terry’s nails. Key findings showed:

25.6% of liver cirrhosis patients exhibited Terry’s nails.

Cirrhosis remained the most significant correlation, even after adjusting for age, diabetes, or heart failure.

Patients with Terry’s nails had 5.7 times higher odds of being diagnosed with cirrhosis.

This underlines that while not diagnostic on its own, Terry’s nails can serve as an early red flag in primary care settings.

How To Identify Terry’s Nails

White, ground-glass-like nails with loss of the lunula

Symmetrical appearance, often on both hands

Narrow reddish-brown band at nail tips

Why It Matters

Medical experts caution that Terry’s nails are not a disease themselves but an indicator of deeper health issues. Alongside nail changes, symptoms like chronic fatigue, unexplained weight loss, weakness, or swelling may suggest advanced disease requiring medical evaluation.

The Takeaway

Doctors advise that individuals noticing persistent nail discolouration, especially if accompanied by other health symptoms, should seek professional consultation. Early detection of liver cirrhosis and related conditions can be life-saving.