Conference report: ONYCHOCON 2024, the 13^th Annual National Conference of the Nail Society of India

The 13^th Annual National Conference of the Nail Society of India was held in Nagpur on 30^th November and 1^st December, 2024. This multifaceted event, attended by 381 delegates brought together experts and enthusiasts in the field of nail science. It was organised at the Chitnavis Convention Centre, Civil lines, Nagpur, across two dedicated halls. The welcome address by Dr. Vikrant Saoji, the Scientific Chairperson, outlined the efforts made by the enthusiastic team in organising the conference.

The event started with the preliminary round for the trademark Annual Nail Quiz – ‘Onychoquest: Search for the best onychophile’!. Questions flashed on the screen were answered by participating teams in their answer sheets. The top four scoring teams made it to the grand finals. The quiz questions, carefully curated by Quiz Masters Dr. Bhushan Madke and Dr. Vishal Gaurav, included a generous mix of basic and advanced knowledge of nail in health and disease, thoroughly testing our participants. The answers were shared at the end, providing valuable learning for the entire audience.

This was followed by a series of skill-building workshop sessions, aimed at enhancing delegates’ clinical and surgical knowledge. Video-based sessions on Nail Surgery were chaired by Dr. Swapnil Shah and Dr. Sudhir Singh. Dr. Sushil Pande detailed the applied anatomy of the nail unit, elaborating on anatomical nuances crucial for clinical procedures. Dr. Manas Puhan followed with a demonstration of instruments and pre- and post-operative procedures, using illustrative videos. Dr. Nitin Barde detailed the anaesthesia techniques, emphasising safe administration. Dr. Vikrant Saoji discussed injection techniques, focussing on pain mitigation, immunotherapy for warts and therapeutic strategies using injectables. Dr. Vineet Relhan showcased various nail biopsy techniques, highlighting the indications of each type, through step-wise videos. Dr. Sushil Tahiliani and Dr. Harsh Tahiliani addressed the management of ingrown nails through various techniques demonstrated through procedural videos, emphasising patient education and preventive care. Dr. Madura C. delivered an insightful recorded session on pincer nail deformity discussing its aetiology and demonstrating various surgical correction techniques. Dr. Archana Singal offered practical tips in a session titled ‘Pearls in Nail Surgery.’ Dr. Chander Grover’s comprehensive talk on nail tumours underscored diagnostic vigilance and individualised surgical strategies, covering the gamut of injectable therapies to the complex matrix and bed tumour surgeries. These sessions were chaired by Dr. Shirlata Trasi and Dr. Dharmendra Mishra.

The formal inauguration of the conference featured traditional lamp lighting and Saraswati Vandana, invocation of the Goddess of Learning. Dr. Vineet Relhan, President of the Nail Society of India (NSI) addressed the audience and outlined various events and activities undertaken by NSI during the past 2 years [Figure 1]. Dr Rizwan Haq, the organising chairperson, spoke about the enthusiasm and efforts put in by the whole team. Key announcements included the release of the inaugural issue of the first-ever dedicated journal of nail disorders, the Journal of Onychology and Nail Surgery. Dr. Chander Grover, the Editor-in-chief, spoke about the journey and this pioneering achievement of the Nail Society of India [Figure 2a and b].

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Figure 1:

Formal inauguration of the conference with traditional lamp lighting.

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Figure 2:

(a and b) Launch of the Journal of Onychology and Nail Surgery.

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Post lunch, a focus session on onychomycosis, chaired by Dr. Rajeev Saxena and Dr. Dhanraj Patel, began with Dr. Kinjal Rambhia detailing various diagnostic techniques. Dr. Kailash Agrawal discussed the role of fluorescent microscopy in diagnosis. Dr. Shital Poojary elaborated on various topical and systemic therapies, while Dr. Swapnil Shah covered procedural management. A panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Shikha Bansal, featured real-life case scenarios and management challenges, with practical insights shared by a panel of skilled dermatologists. Audience questions and doubts were also taken up [Figure 3].

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Figure 3:

Panel discussion on onychomycosis.

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After a tea-break, Dr. Archana Singal discussed melanonychia, its aetiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis. It was followed by a focus session on diagnostic onychology chaired by Dr. Milind Borkar. Dr. Deepak Jakhar introduced the evolving role of onychoscopy, while Dr. Vasudha Belgaumkar spoke on nail-fold capillaroscopy and its broader diagnostic utility in disorders other than connective tissue diseases. Dr. Shweta Grover presented the histopathology of nail in various infectious and inflammatory conditions, as well as onycho-tumours. This was followed by a discussion on clinicopathological correlation by Dr. Chetan Rajput and Dr. Balkrishna Nikam. Dr. Rizwan Haq concluded the session with a presentation on the management of subungual and periungual warts.

Parallel sessions in Hall B showcased free paper presentations chaired by Dr. Jayesh Mukhi, Dr. Saroj Mukhi, Dr. Sugat Jawade and others. Studies exploring nail changes linked to malignancies, renal disorders, autoimmune conditions and more. Innovative therapies including lasers, thioglycolic acid with microneedling, acetic acid soak for Goldman–Fox syndrome and nail peels for hyperkeratotic nails, were the highlights. Simultaneous poster presentations also showcased the work in the field of nail disease by Indian dermatologists. The day concluded with the NSI Annual General Body Meeting, chaired by Dr. Vineet Relhan. Society matters were discussed, including the elections for the next NSI office-bearers.

The second day began on a high note with the highly anticipated Nail Quiz finals. The team from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), Bangalore, emerged victorious after intense rounds of clinical quizzing [Figure 4]. The subsequent Award paper session, featuring selected research studies, was judged by Dr. Manish Khandare and Dr. Sushil Pande. The studies included those on nail findings in psychocutaneous diseases and genodermatoses.

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Figure 4:

Final round of the nail quiz.

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Subsequent session was chaired by Dr. Bipin Mehta and Dr. Sushil Rathi. In his keynote address, Dr. Arun C. Imandar discussed nail changes in various genodermatoses such as dyskeratosis congenita, pachyonychia congenita and epidermolysis bullosa. Dr. Shikha Bansal elaborated on nail changes associated with systemic diseases. Dr. Vishal Gaurav summarised the latest in nail research through his talk on ‘What’s new in nail disorders’?

After a tea break, the very first NSI Oration was delivered by Dr. Vijay Zawar. He spoke on ‘My journey through chromonychia’ [Figure 5], highlighting unique cases from his years of practice. This was followed by NSI Systopic Thesis Award presentation by Dr. S. Parag and Dr. V. Kowsalya.

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Figure 5:

Nail Society of India oration by Dr. Vijay Zawar on ‘My journey through chromonychia.’

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Subsequent sessions tackled inflammatory nail disorders, a vast and varied field with lack of standardised protocols or evidence-based treatment options. The session was chaired by Dr. Sanjeev Gulati and Dr. R.P. Singh, who also moderated the audience queries. The discussions included those on trachyonychia (by Dr. Raghunath Reddy), nail psoriasis (Dr. B.B. Mahajan), nail lichen planus (Dr. Gopal Rajput) and chronic paronychia (Dr. Vineet Relhan). Simultaneously, the day’s second free paper session and a talk titled ‘Publishing Smart: Strategies’ were conducted in Hall B, chaired by Dr. Amar Surjushe and Dr. Sonia Jain. Dr. Shreya Deoghare moderated the latter. A lively potpourri session followed in Hall A, chaired by Dr. A. K. Srivastava and Dr. Vinod Titarmare. Presenters explored nail changes from systemic drugs (Dr. Omkar Kulkarni), paediatric nail changes (Dr. Manish Khandare), nail changes due to ill-fitting footwear (Dr. Sushil Tahiliani), nail peeling (Dr. Shraddha Mahalle) and imaging techniques in nail (Dr. Kirti Gehlot). Concurrent session in Hall-B chaired by Dr. Asra Khumushi and Dr. Vishal Chaddha, had speakers delve into AI in onychology (Dr. Bushra Iqbal Khan), nail simulations (Dr. Deepak Jakhar), brittle nails (Dr. Khushbu Mahajan), and correction of nail deformities (Dr. Karla Falerio). Dr. Riyaz Aamir spoke about the nail transillumination test. A case-based discussion in HALL-A, moderated by Dr. Atul Salodkar and Dr. Sudhir Mamidwar shared real-life experiences and management strategies for challenging nail cases. Expert panelists included Dr. Vineet Relhan, Dr. Chander Grover, Dr. Sushil Tahiliani, Dr. Arun C. Inamdar and Dr. Archana Singal.

Conference impact, innovations future directions

Like its predecessors, this focussed conference on nail disorders was also well attended by practitioners and postgraduates, who by learning about the various aspects of nail disorders management will be able to incorporate it in their daily practice. Sessions on artificial intelligence, nail simulations and nail cosmetics opened the doors for further innovations in the field of nail disorders.

The conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Shikha Bansal, Honorary Secretary of NSI, and Dr Nitin Barde, Organising Secretary, who appreciated the contributions of organisers, participants, faculty, sponsors and the entire team for making the conference a success. [Figure 6a and b].

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Figure 6:

(a) The organising committee of ONYCHOCON-2024. (b) Team Nail Society of India.

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