Mees' lines

Mees' lines or Aldrich-Mees' lines are lines of discoloration across the nails of the fingers and toes after an episode of poisoning with arsenic or thallium or other heavy metals. They can also appear if the subject is suffering from renal failure. They are typically white bands traversing the width of the nail. As the nail grows they move towards the end, and finally disappear when trimmed.

Although the phenomenon is named after the Dutch physician R.A. Mees, earlier descriptions of the same abnormality were made by the Englishman E.S. Reynolds and the American C.J. Aldrich in 1901 and 1904, respectively.

External link

 * Image of Mees' lines at micromedex.com