MCTD Support Group

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) or Sharp's syndrome is a human autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body. MCTD combines features of polymyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic scleroderma and is thus considered an overlap syndrome. MCTD commonly causes joint pain/swelling, Raynaud phenomenon, muscle inflammation, and scarring of...

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Fingernails

tammib
tammib
Have you experienced changes to your fingernails associated with MCTD?
brunob
brunob
My fingernails are starting to curl over the end of my fingers. I was told it is a sign of an autoimmune illness.
deleted_user
deleted_user
My nails are getting ridges on them but I think that could just be age! :0 And my cuticles are dry and raggedy looking. Geez, Maybe I just need a manicure.

What's happening with your nails?
deleted_user
deleted_user
I'm not sure what you mean, exactly. But I get splinter hemorrhages on my nails( or I guess they are actually under the nail) and I have trouble with my cuticles -- they grow like crazy over my nail and I get tiny visible hemorrhages in my cuticles also. Then sometimes the cuticle will totally peel back and continue peeling skin down below my nail. I also get cracks or fissures on the edges of my cuticles that really hurt.

But I was wondering if maybe you meant nailfold changes that can be seen with capillaroscopy (which is a microscope type device that looks at the capillaries of your nailfold) Rheumatologists will often do this procedure to help diagnose Scleroderma and MCTD. I had this done at Cleveland Clinic and was told that I had an abnormal capillaroscopy in a scleroderma pattern. This pattern can be seen in MCTD patients as well. I believe some of that is what I am seeing when sometimes I get tiny hemorrhages on my cuticles that are visible to the naked eye. They are very tiny and you wouldn't see them if you didn't know to look for them and you have to really look close but they are there, and visible without a microscope.
tammib
tammib
My nails have become so thin and fragile that they hurt. They have a ridge at the top of each nail. It's hard to explain. My finger tips also hurt and a couple of my fingers got infected, not just around the nails, my entire fingers were infected. My feet are also changing. I lube them up with lotion and cover with socks when I go to bed. If I don't, they get crusty..TMI I know. Each time I clip my toenails they are ingrown. I didn't have these issues until recently. I don't know if they are symptoms or side effects or something else altogether.
tammib
tammib
I forgot to add that my Raynauds has been acting up 24 x 7 so my PC put me on Cardizem. I wonder if the problem with my nails is related to the decrease circulation???