Pseudoainhum in a Patient with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: An Uncommon Association

Abstract

The term pseudoainhum is used to describe constricting band(s) around one or more digits in relation to several congenital or acquired diseases. Systemic sclerosis, keratoderma, psoriasis, Reynolds syndrome among others, has been reported to be associated with pseudoainhum development. We report a case of a 54 years old woman with annular constricting bands and micronychia on the fourth and fifth digits of her both hands associated with bilateral distal acrosclerosis. Raynaud’s phenomenon with some years of evolution and, more recent, fatigue and recurrent inflammatory polyarthritis and also antinuclear and anti-U1 nuclear ribonucleoprotein antibodies were present. Therefore, the diagnoses of pseudoainhum with a likely association with mixed connective tissue disease were proposed. Whenever in the presence of pseudoainhum, a detailed workup, including autoimmune disorders screening, is mandatory in order to rule out possible associated syndromes or underlying diseases. The authors present this case as the association between pseudoainhum and mixed connective tissue disease has not been previously reported in the literature.