Recognizing and diagnosing the most common nail diseases is essential, to be able to guide patients and provide appropriate treatment. However, uncommon nail disorders should not be neglected, in order to avoid inadequate treatment and above all to ensure that no severe underlying disorder, with severe prognosis, is overlooked.

Correct diagnosis of nail disorders could be difficult for a non-trained eye, especially in children. For this reason, sometimes, probative diagnosis and treatment are the outcome of a consultation. This paper wants to underline how podiatric abnormalities should be considered possible causes of nail disorders in children and how they need an appropriate, most of the time non-medical, treatment in order to avoid future complications.
CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should be aware of this possibility and refer these patients to a dermatologist or a podiatrist for a correct management. What is known: • Diagnosis and treatment of nail disorders in children could be difficult. • Differential diagnosis should be as much accurate as possible in order to avoid unnecessary and possible harmful treatments. What is new: • Podiatric abnormalities should not be underestimated. • Podiatric abnormalities should be considered as potential causes of nail abnormalities in children.