Acquired blue nevus of the nail bed

Abstract

Blue nevi are benign proliferations of melaninproducing dendritic melanocytes located in the dermis. These nevi tend to occur mostly on the skin, predominantly on the head and neck, dorsal aspects of the distal extremities, and the sacral area, but can also occasionally appear on mucosal surfaces. Blue nevi of the nail apparatus are uncommon. The majority originate in the nail matrix where there is a higher density of melanocytes. Herein we report on a 47-year-old man with a rare common blue nevus of the nail bed, an area with low melanocyte density. A thorough review of the English language literature found no documented cases of acquired blue nevi originating in the nailbed of the toe.