Beau's lines: Transverse lines or grooves across the fingernails; transverse depressions in the nail plate. Beau's lines are caused by temporary cessation of cell division in the proximal nail matrix. The condition may be caused by local disease of the nail fold, physical trauma to it, or a systemic insult, such as an illness or a drug as, for example, chemotherapy. Named for the distinguished French physician Joseph Honore Simon Beau (1806-1865) who described this phenomenon in 1846.
Also known as Beau-Reil cross furrows. Johann Christian Reil (1759-1813), German anatomist, physiologist, and physician for the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, described the same lines across the nails in 1796, a half century before Beau.
Beau's Lines: Condition information and pictures for adults - Overview. Beau's lines are horizontal (transverse) depressions in the nail plate that run parallel to the ...
n. Transverse depressions on the fingernails occurring after trauma such as severe febrile disease , malnutrition , or coronary occlusion
Beau's lines are deep grooved lines that run from side to side on the fingernail. They are usually bilateral and result from a temporary cessation in the growth of the ...
Alternative Names. Beau's lines; Fingernail abnormalities; Spoon nails; Onycholysis; Leukonychia; Koilonychia; Brittle nails
Beau's Lines - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Tips. Beau's lines are Transverse lines or grooves across the fingernails; transverse concavities in the nail plate.