Lindsay's nails

System: Kidney & Urinary Signs · All kidney & urinary signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

The half of the nail nearest the body is white or pale while the outer half is reddish-brown — 'half-and-half' nails.

What a positive finding suggests

Associated with chronic kidney disease and uraemia.

◈ Behind the name

Philip G. Lindsay, American physician, who described the nails in chronic kidney disease in 1967.

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.