2-week history of fever and the on- set of a scarlatinaform rash. He was proved during the 2 weeks of anti- inflammatory therapy. A week after completing the ASA (transverse curling of the nail along its longitudinal axis)6 and leukonychia par- tialis (abnormally white proximal por- found to have mild bulbar conjunctivi- therapy, the skin on the tips of the tion of nail).7 These nail abnormalities tis, a “strawberry” tongue and palpable boy’s fingers and toes began to peel. are nonspecific and, in the context of lymph nodes (neck and groin). These This periungual desquamation is a Kawasaki disease or other systemic trig- clinical features could be caused by common late sign observed in Kawasaki gers, generally resolve spontaneously Scarlet fever, but they were also in ac- disease and other severe systemic dis- within 1 to 2 months. cord with the diagnostic criteria for eases, including Scarlet fever. Usually Kawasaki disease, as outlined in recent the desquamation does not affect Allen R. Ciastko reviews of this acute systemic vasculitis the nails and resolves spontaneously Pediatrician of unknown cause.1,2 over 1 to 2 weeks. Kamloops, BC The boy was treated with a 5-day The periungual desquamation had course of amoxicillin (250 mg 3 times a started to heal when, 1 week later, all of References day). Throat and blood cultures were the boy’s fingernails and toenails spon- 1. Han RK, Sinclair B, Newman A, Silverman ED, Taylor GW, Walsh P, et al. Recognition and negative for group A streptococcus. taneously separated from the matrix management of Kawasaki disease. CMAJ The boy also received gamma globulin (onychomadesis) (Fig. 1). Despite the 2000;162(6):807-12. Available: www.cmaj.ca/cgi /content/full/162/6/807 (2 g/kg) intravenously followed by generalized nature and severity of this 2. Rowley AH, Shulman ST. Kawasaki syndrome. high-dose anti-inflammatory therapy nailbed damage, the proximal nails sub- Pediatr Clin North Am 1999;46:313-29. with ASA (90 mg/kg daily) for 2 weeks sequently grew in normally, with mini- 3. Pilapil VR, Quizon DF. Nail shedding in Kawasaki syndrome [letter]. Am J Dis Child to reduce inflammation and decrease mal evidence of residual scarring. 1990;144:142-3. the risk of coronary artery aneurysms, We could find only one other report 4. Bures FA. Beau’s lines in mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome [letter]. Am J Dis Child 1981; which are the main complications of of such nail shedding secondary to 135:383. Kawasaki disease. Baseline and 2 fol- Kawasaki disease.3 Milder variations of 5. Lindsley CB. Nail-bed lines in Kawasaki disease [letter]. Am J Dis Child 1992;146:659-60. low-up echocardiograms (at 2 and 10 nail damage associated with Kawasaki 6. Vanderhooft SL, Vanderhooft JE. Pincer nail weeks after presentation) showed no ev- disease have previously been reported deformity after Kawasaki’s disease. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999;41:341-2. idence of coronary artery aneurysms. in the form of Beau’s lines (transverse 7. Iosub S, Gromisch DS. Leukonychia partialis in The boy’s condition gradually im- grooves in the nails), 4,5 pincer nails Kawasaki disease. J Infect Dis 1984;150:617-8.