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Ask a doctor on the topic of General medicine

Fine black stripe on the big toe.

Good day. A little about me: I am male and 27 years old. In 2017, I noticed a fine black line on the fingernail of my right index finger, running from the tip of the nail down. It was not even 2mm long and very narrow, less than 0.2mm, taking up less than 25% of the nail. This line can be cut off after a few days of nail growth. It seems to be caused by very fine injuries under the nail. What is interesting is that a similar line, but shorter (between 1-1.5mm), has also been appearing on the toenail of my right foot for about 1.5 years, a bit further away from the tip. These lines can be cut off and return every 6 months, always in the same shape. I observe these lines when they appear and they actually do not change at all. I only have these lines in these two spots, although I did have one on my thumb once.

It might also be interesting to note that I have red, very small lines on the nail beds of several fingers at irregular intervals, which disappear on their own after a few days. Furthermore, my mother has a coagulation disorder (takes medication for blood thinning) and I also tend to bleed for a long time. It has not been medically confirmed whether I actually suffer from this condition, but it would fit the overall symptomatology.

In conclusion, I would simply like to hear an opinion from a professional, as there is a lot of information on the internet (e.g. melanoma, even though the symptoms only vaguely match) and I would like to have an expert opinion on the matter. A photo is attached, but in case it does not work, here is a direct link:

Thank you in advance!

Dr med Hans-Jürgen Bartels

Hello, first of all, the question about a melanoma is quickly answered. A melanoma does not come and go, but remains locally present and does not cause any streak-like changes. Regarding the coagulation disorder, I think you should visit a coagulation clinic to have a coagulation status test done. The nail changes could also be related to this.

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Dr med Hans-Jürgen Bartels