Why Are White Spots Called Leukocia?

The white spots on the fingernails are called “leukonychia” and are very common. Generally, the spots are signs of some injury to the base of the nail. By the time the spot shows up, the injury was probably forgotten about. The white spots can be from trauma from a previous manicure. Sometimes, the white spots can indicate an underlying disease, but the changes should be more dramatic than just the occasional spots. Nails that turn completely white indicated liver disease, but would most likely already know because of other symptoms. White spots are not caused by calcium deficiency.