Background: Onychomycosis is a common cause of nail dystrophy and may be associated with tinea pedis. Its prevalence among diabetic patients is three times that in healthy individuals. The presence of fungal infection in clinically normal nails in patients with type II diabetes is unknown.Objective: Assessment of the efficacy of nail clipping in diagnosing both clinical and subclinical onychomycosis, besides, the assessment of possibility of presence of subclinical onychomycosis in patients with type II diabetes that might suggest early therapeutic intervention in such patients.Patients and methods: 106 patients with type II diabetes with and without vasculopathy, neuropathy, and clinical tinea pedis with normal big toe nail are included, in addition to control groups that include 30 non diabetic subjects with normal toe nails and 10 non diabetic patients with apparent onychomycosis. All were subjected to nail clipping of the big toe nail followed by staining with H&E and PAS stains.Results: Fungal infection (PAS +ve) were identified in eight specimens of the diabetic group. All patients were uncontrolled diabetes, six patients had neuropathy, five patients had clinically diagnosed tinea pedis, and no one had vasculopathy.Conclusions: Nail clipping could be a useful diagnostic tool for onychomycosis in addition that subclinical onychomycosis is an existing real condition that can be associated with tinea pedis and it was found in patients with type II diabetes especially the uncontrolled ones.