Can biting your fingernails cause abnormal growht on the dorsum of
right index finger

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 27 Sep 2003 18:14 PDT

Can you explain in laymen's terms what YOU mean when you refer to "the
dorsum" of the index finger? Anatomically speaking, the dorsum of the
hand (or in this case, the finger) is the back or posterior side in
general; the opposite of the palm side. Are you referring to skin,
bones, muscle, nerves or what?

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

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Clarification of Question by jkelvar-ga on 28 Sep 2003 00:39 PDT

I am referring to skin.  This may also help better verify.  This is
the complete question:

A 30 yr. old mental patient has an abnormal growth of hair on the
dorsum of her right index finger.  the orderly comments that she gnaws
on that finger continously.  What do you think is the relationship
between her gnawing activity andher hairy finger?

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Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 30 Sep 2003 18:58 PDT

The only relationship I would think reasonable would be obsessive
compulsive disorder. I would be more inclined to believe that the
abnormal hair growth is probably the reason for the finger gnawing and
not the other way around.

I can give you some facts about OCD if you are interested in this as
an answer.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga