Clubbing – deformity of fingernail
Clubbing is an important sign that indicate a lot of disease.
In clubbing, there is a loss of angle between the nail and nail fold. On palpation, the nail fold will feels boggy. The changes occur due to changes in the local blood flow. The exact mechanism is still remain unknown.
CAUSES OF CLUBBING
Thyroid causes:
· Bronchial carcinoma (especially epidermoid – squamous cell, usually not small cell carcinoma)
· Chronic lung suppuration (empyema, lung abscess, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, etc)
· Fibrosing alveolitis
· Pleural and mediastinal tumor (e.g.: mesothelioma)
· Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia
Gastrointestinal causes:
· Inflammatory bowel disease (especially Crohn’s disease)
· Cirrhosis
· Gastrointestinal lymphoma
· Malabsorption disease (e.g.: celiac disease)
Cardiac causes:
· Cyanotic congenital heart disease
· Subacute infective endocarditis
· Atrial myxoma
Rare causes:
· Familial disease
· Thyroid acropachy
· Unilateral clubbing (from axillary artery aneurysm or brachial arteriovenous malformations)
More detail about conditions associated with clubbing.
Reference:
1. Oxford handbook of Clinical Medicine. 7th edition. Oxford University Press. 2008.
2. Kumar and Clark. 6th edition. 2005.
Tags: bronchial carcinoma, bronchiectasis, clubbing, inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis, lung abscess
Technorati Tags: bronchial carcinoma, bronchiectasis, clubbing, inflammatory bowel disease, liver cirrhosis, lung abscess
Other than clubbing, yellow nails is a sign of respiratory problem or fungal infections. Occasionally yellowing begins steadily and progresses over decades. As less oxygen flows in the body, the nailbed isn’t as nourished as it used to. Your body wants to protect the important organs, so if there’s not enough oxygen for all body parts, the first victims are extremities.