Nail-changes induced by penicillamine.

Peculiar nail-changes in a 70-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis occurring after approximately 1 year of penicillamine treatment are described. After cessation of treatment there was a gradual resolution with regain of normal nails after 7 months. Reinstitution of penicillamine treatment caused a recurrence thus proving a causal relationship between penicillamine and the described nail-changes. The fingernails were more affected than the toenails and clinically the changes consisted of absence of lunulae, longitudinal ridging, transverse or longitudinal defects of the nailplate and a tendency of onychoschizia.