Benign longitudinal melanonychia in skin of color: A case series

Longitudinal melanonychia is characterised by pigmented bands on the nail caused by the activation or proliferation of melanocytes. We present a case series of five Indian patients with skin of color with benign longitudinal melanonychia diagnosed through dermoscopy. Patients aged 25–39 years presented with longitudinal bands on their thumbnails of varying colours and sizes for 6–18 months. The dermoscopic evaluation revealed regularly arranged parallel lines of uniform colour and spacing with a positive pseudo-Hutchinson sign. This study emphasises the utility of dermoscopy in distinguishing benign from malignant longitudinal melanonychia in skin of color, and its role in monitoring lesions and detecting malignant changes at the earliest.