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Muehrcke's lines
System: Skin & Nail Signs · All skin & nail signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
Paired white bands running across the fingernails that do not move as the nail grows, and fade when the nail bed is pressed.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with very low blood albumin, as in nephrotic syndrome and severe malnutrition.
◈ Behind the name
Robert C. Muehrcke (1921–2004), American nephrologist.
Related signs — Skin & Nail Signs
Browse the M section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
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.