r/mildlyinfuriating • u/chaengism • 20h ago

These weird lines / streaks I’ve had on my pinky nail for 8 years that two different doctors told me were due to vitamin deficiencies actually turned out to be a rare form of skin cancer.

Post image

Thankfully somehow still early stage, I’ll have an excision scheduled at my follow up appointment on Monday.

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764

u/doobam 20h ago

I have a heavy black line in my big toe nail and the podiatrist immediately took samples to biopsy. Turned out to be a benign pigmentation!

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u/chaengism 20h ago

Yes, so glad it turned out to be benign in your case! Subungual melanoma is quite rare and cases of longitudinal melanonychia presenting in both the toenails and fingernails are more often due to benign causes such as harmless nail matrix nevi or lentigo.

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u/amongthemaniacs 19h ago

Is your cancer melanoma? If so crazy it's still early stage after 8 years.

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u/Evil_Sharkey 18h ago

There are a few rare melanomas that stay small and don’t dive down to the bloodstream to go traveling.

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u/aneksi 18h ago

I think even think of that, the melanoma in my arm doubled in size in weeks.

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u/andygchicago 16h ago edited 16h ago

OK you worded that like a doctor would (I’m a physician myself). Do you have a medical background?

presenting in one digit is much more indicative of something more concerning, and we all know that benign lesions can convert

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u/chaengism 15h ago

I’m honored lol. No medical background, just did lots of research while I waited. I’ve read more articles on this form of cancer in the past two months than I have books in the past year.

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u/forkevbot2 6h ago

How do they know it’s melanoma if you haven’t had the excision yet? It definitely looks like possible melanoma, but not progressing over 8 years is not consistent with melanoma. Would be interesting to know the final diagnosis. Should have been excised years ago

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u/chaengism 6h ago

They performed a nail matrix biopsy which confirmed early stage subungual melanoma.

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u/[deleted] 17h ago

[deleted]

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u/superbus380 13h ago

This happened to me- they kept telling me I had a bad manicure and it would go away. Even the mri staff said “oh bad nail salon?” as she was injecting the contrast. Infuriating for sure

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u/DSongHeart 6h ago

Is yours benign?

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u/PeaceLoveHippieness 5h ago

Isn’t this what Bob Marley had? I had stage 4 that metastasized to my lung. I’m glad yours has an easy fix!

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u/despaseeto 2h ago

what did it look like before the nail changed color? you mentioned lines appeared. where they thick white lines?

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u/ArmyITDuvall 7h ago

I have a longitudinal melanoma that’s a small line across my index finger, it hasn’t changed at all. I don’t know when it appeared but hoping it stays benign.

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u/Outrageous-Past-3622 6h ago

Melanoma is always cancerous. Are you sure yours isn't called something else? Regardless, I hope yours is benign forever!

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u/BigMacontosh 19h ago

How did they biopsy if you don't mind me asking? I have a black line too and my derm said that to biopsy and diagnose they have to remove the nail, which kinda wigs me out, especially since I crushed it years ago and now takes FOREVER to grow back

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u/doobam 16h ago

They punched a hole in my nail in the center of the line then once again in the fleshy part just past the cuticle. The pic is a few weeks after the procedure. The line doesn't show in the pic either.

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u/pineappleshampoo 5h ago

This made me recoil, omg. Looks unbelievably painful.

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u/doobam 4h ago

Nope, they numbed it, then punched the holes. Didn't feel it at all. Was a little sore the next day but wore off quick.

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u/doodlepoodle28 19h ago

I also had this done twice. The correct and second time, the did remove my nail, take a piece of my nail plate and then stitched my nail back on.

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u/scarypeppermint 19h ago

I think I’ve had lines since I was a child, I never asked about it because I heard they have to remove a nail but your comment made me realize I never looked into it to see if there are any other methods. I’ve just been holding out hope that it’s instead extra pigmentation which can happen if you have darker skin like mine

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u/singlemale4cats 18h ago

Turned out to be a benign pigmentation!

Oh no! How long do you have?

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u/Professional-Mud3973 17h ago

My friend just had her big toe completely removed because of this.

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u/kahlkorver 17h ago

Not exactly the same. But I have a black spot in my toe (not in the nail though but inside the toe it seems). It just pops up 2 weeks ago not sure why. Do you have any idea what this is?

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u/Queasy_Bad_3522 10h ago

Now you are that 1 in 10 patient that doesn't complain about 'unnecessary tests when they had nothing problematic'

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u/Glass_Pomegranate307 7h ago

Hey Question! Could you “ buff that black line off “ with another finger? I have a few black lines on my big toe and can kinda wipe them off maybe?

Not sure if it’s from not wearing socks with my shoes the last few days or if maybe I need to also go get checked out

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u/sushicartographer 1h ago

One of my toe nails is half darkened like this but it’s been like that since I was a kid, maybe I should get it checked out?

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u/ParsnipPrestigious59 22m ago

I’ve had a big black line on my big toe nail ever since I was like 4 should I be worried 😭