Abstract: LI Yuan-jun, ZHANG Jin-tao*, ZHU Bing, LI Jun, ZHOU Ai-zhen，CHEN Jin-ping. *Department of Dermatology, Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center, Guangzhou 510120, China 【Abstract】 Objective To analyse factors associated with onychomadesis in children, and to evaluate the relationship between onychomadesis and hand-foot-mouth disease（HMFD）. Methods A retrospective study was performed. Clinical data were collected from 120 children with onychomadesis （average age, 3.19 ± 2.06 years） and 120 sex- and age-matched patients with hemangioma. Viral detection was realized by real-time reverse transcription-PCR in throat swab specimens. Data were analyzed by chi-square test using the SPSS 16.0 software. Results Of the 120 patients with onychomadesis, 85 （70.83%） had a history of HMFD, which was 4 to 8 weeks prior to the occurrence of onychomadesis. Onychomadesis was strongly correlated with HMFD （OR, 7.621，95% CI, 4.292 － 13.531）, but uncorrelated with the occurrence and peak of fever, abnormality of serum trace elements, existence of latent diseases, or the use of antipyretic drugs or antimicrobial drugs during the clinical course of HMFD （all P > 0.05）. Several viruses were detected in 39.7% of 68 throat swab specimens from patients with HMFD accompanied by onychomadesis, which included Coxsackievirus A16 in 9 patients, enterovirus 71 in 3 patients and unidentified enteroviruses in 15 patients. Conclusion Onychomadesis appears to be a complication of HMFD.

Key words: Onychomadesis