- Nail clubbing
-
Clubbing
Clubbing of the fingernail. The red line shows the outline of a clubbed nail.ICD-10 R68.3 ICD-9 781.5 In medicine, nail clubbing[1] (also known as "Drumstick fingers," "Hippocratic fingers," and "Watch-glass nails"[1]) is a deformity of the fingers and fingernails that is associated with a number of diseases, mostly of the heart and lungs.[2]:656 Hippocrates was probably the first to document clubbing as a sign of disease, and the phenomenon is therefore occasionally called Hippocratic fingers.
Idiopathic clubbing can also occur, and in 60% of cases there is no associated underlying disease.[3]
Contents
Signs and symptoms
Clubbing develops in five steps:[4]
- Fluctuation and softening of the nail bed (increased ballotability)
- Loss of the normal <165° angle (Lovibond angle) between the nailbed and the fold (cuticula)
- Increased convexity of the nail fold
- Thickening of the whole distal (end part of the) finger (resembling a drumstick)
- Shiny aspect and striation of the nail and skin
Schamroth's test or Schamroth's window test (originally demonstrated by South African cardiologist Dr Leo Schamroth on himself[5]) is a popular test for clubbing. When the distal phalanges (bones nearest the fingertips) of corresponding fingers of opposite hands are directly opposed (place fingernails of same finger on opposite hands against each other, nail to nail), a small diamond-shaped "window" is normally apparent between the nailbeds. If this window is obliterated, the test is positive and clubbing is present.
Diagnosis
When clubbing is encountered in patients, doctors will seek to identify its cause. They usually accomplish this by obtaining a medical history—particular attention is paid to lung, heart, and gastrointestinal conditions—and conducting a clinical examination, which may disclose associated features relevant to a diagnosis. Additional studies such as a chest X-ray and a chest CT-scan may also be performed.[4]
Disease associations
Although many diseases are associated with clubbing (particularly lung diseases), the reports are fairly anecdotal. Prospective studies of patients presenting with clubbing have not yet been performed, and hence there is no conclusive evidence of these associations.
Isolated clubbing
Clubbing is associated with:
- Lung disease:
- Lung cancer, mainly non-small cell (54% of all cases), not seen frequently in small cell lung cancer (< 5% of cases)[6]
- Interstitial lung disease
- Tuberculosis
- Suppurative lung disease: lung abscess, empyema, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis
- Pleural Mesothelioma
- A·V fistula
- Heart disease:
- Any disease featuring chronic hypoxia
- Congenital cyanotic heart disease (most common cardiac cause)
- Subacute bacterial endocarditis
- Atrial myxoma (benign tumor)
- Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary:
- Malabsorption
- Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- Cirrhosis, especially in primary biliary cirrhosis[7]
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome, a complication of cirrhosis[8]
- Laxative abuse
- Polyposis
- Esophageal CA
- Others:
- Hyperthyroidism (thyroid acropachy)[9]
- Familial and racial clubbing and "pseudoclubbing" (people of African descent often have what appears to be clubbing)
- Vascular anomalies of the affected arm such as an axillary artery aneurysm (in unilateral clubbing)
- Thymoma
- Thalassemia
HPOA
Main article: Periosteal reactionA special form of clubbing is hypertrophic pulmonary osteo-arthropathy, known in continental Europe as Pierre Marie-Bamberger syndrome. This is the combination of clubbing and thickening of periosteum (connective tissue lining of the bones) and synovium (lining of joints), and is often initially diagnosed as arthritis. It is commonly associated with lung cancer.
Primary HOA
Primary hypertrophic osteo-arthropathy is HPOA without signs of pulmonary disease. This form has a hereditary component, although subtle cardiac abnormalities can occasionally be found. It is known eponymously as the Touraine-Solente-Golé syndrome. This condition has been linked to mutations in the gene on the fourth chromosome (4q33-q34) coding for the enzyme 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (HPGD); this leads to decreased breakdown of prostaglandin E2 and elevated levels of this substance.[10]
Pathophysiology
The exact cause for sporadic clubbing is unknown, and there are numerous theories as to its cause. Vasodilation (distended blood vessels), secretion of growth factors (such as platelet-derived growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor) from the lungs, and other mechanisms have been proposed. The discovery of disorders in the prostaglandin metabolism in primary osteo-arthropathy has led to suggestions that overproduction of PGE2 by other tissues may be the causative factor for clubbing.[10]
Epidemiology
The exact frequency of clubbing in the population is not known. A 2008 study found clubbing in 1% of all patients admitted to a department of internal medicine. Of these, 40% turned out to have significant underlying disease of various causes, while 60% had no medical problems on further investigations and remained well over the subsequent year.[3]
See also
- Periosteal reaction
- Clubbed thumb (unrelated congenital deformity)
- List of cutaneous conditions
References
- ^ a b Rapini, Ronald P.; Bolognia, Jean L.; Jorizzo, Joseph L. (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 1-4160-2999-0.
- ^ Freedberg, et al. (2003). Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0071380760.
- ^ a b Vandemergel X, Renneboog B (July 2008). "Prevalence, aetiologies and significance of clubbing in a department of general internal medicine". Eur. J. Intern. Med. 19 (5): 325–9. doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2007.05.015. PMID 18549933.
- ^ a b Myers KA, Farquhar DR (2001). "The rational clinical examination: does this patient have clubbing?". JAMA 286: 341–7. doi:10.1001/jama.286.3.341. PMID 11466101.
- ^ Schamroth L (February 1976). "Personal experience". S. Afr. Med. J. 50 (9): 297–300. PMID 1265563.
- ^ Sridhar KS, Lobo CF, Altman RD (1998). "Digital clubbing and lung cancer" (PDF). Chest 114 (6): 1535–37. doi:10.1378/chest.114.6.1535. PMID 9872183. http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/reprint/114/6/1535.
- ^ Epstein O, Dick R, Sherlock S (1981). "Prospective study of periostitis and finger clubbing in primary biliary cirrhosis and other forms of chronic liver disease". Gut 22 (3): 203–6. doi:10.1136/gut.22.3.203. PMID 7227854.
- ^ Naeije R. Hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension. Swiss Med Wkly. 2003;133:163-9. PMID 12715285.
- ^ -724565997 at GPnotebook
- ^ a b Uppal S, Diggle CP, Carr IM, et al. (June 2008). "Mutations in 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase cause primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy". Nat. Genet. 40 (6): 789–93. doi:10.1038/ng.153. PMID 18500342.
Disorders of skin appendages (L60–L75, 703–706) Nail shape: Koilonychia · Nail clubbingbehavior: Onychotillomania · Onychophagiaother: Ingrown nail · Anonychiaungrouped: Paronychia (Acute paronychia, Chronic paronychia ) · Chevron nail · Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers · Green nails · Half and half nails · Hangnail · Hapalonychia · Hook nail · Lichen planus of the nails · Longitudinal erythronychia · Malalignment of the nail plate · Median nail dystrophy · Mees' lines · Melanonychia · Muehrcke's lines · Nail–patella syndrome · Onychoatrophy · Onychocryptosis · Onycholysis · Onychomadesis · Onychomatricoma · Onychomycosis · Onychophosis · Onychoptosis defluvium · Onychorrhexis · Onychoschizia · Platonychia · Pincer nails · Plummer's nail · Psoriatic nails · Pterygium inversum unguis · Pterygium unguis · Purpura of the nail bed · Racquet nail · Red lunulae · Shell nail syndrome · Splinter hemorrhage · Spotted lunulae · Staining of the nail plate · Stippled nails · Subungual hematoma · Terry's nails · Twenty-nail dystrophyHair noncicatricial alopecia: Alopecia/Alopecia areata (Alopecia totalis, Alopecia universalis, Ophiasis)
Androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness) · Hypotrichosis · Telogen effluvium · Traction alopecia · Lichen planopilaris · Trichorrhexis nodosa · Alopecia neoplastica · Anagen effluvium · Alopecia mucinosacicatricial alopecia: Pseudopelade of Brocq · Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia · Pressure alopecia · Traumatic alopecia · Tumor alopecia · Hot comb alopecia · Perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens · Graham-Little syndrome · Folliculitis decalvansHirsutism · Acquired generalized hypertrichosis · Generalized congenital hypertrichosis · Localized acquired hypertrichosis · Localized congenital hypertrichosis · Patterned acquired hypertrichosis · Prepubertal hypertrichosis · X-linked hypertrichosisAcneAcne vulgaris · Acne conglobata · Acne miliaris necrotica · Tropical acne · Infantile acne/Neonatal acne · Excoriated acne · Acne fulminans · Acne medicamentosa (e.g., steroid acne) · Halogen acne (Iododerma, Bromoderma, Chloracne) · Oil acne · Tar acne · Acne cosmetica · Occupational acne · Acne aestivalis · Acne keloidalis nuchae · Acne mechanica · Acne with facial edema · Pomade acne · Acne necrotica · Blackhead · Lupus miliaris disseminatus facieiPerioral dermatitis (Granulomatous perioral dermatitis) · Phymatous rosacea (Rhinophyma, Blepharophyma, Gnathophyma, Metophyma, Otophyma) · Papulopustular rosacea · Lupoid rosacea · Erythrotelangiectatic rosacea · Glandular rosacea · Gram-negative rosacea · Steroid rosacea · Ocular rosacea · Persistent edema of rosacea · Rosacea conglobata · variants (Periorificial dermatitis, Pyoderma faciale)UngroupedGranulomatous facial dermatitis · Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma · Periorbital dermatitis · SAPHO syndromeFollicular cystsFolliculitis (Folliculitis nares perforans, Tufted folliculitis) · Pseudofolliculitis barbae
Hidradenitis (Hidradenitis suppurativa, Recurrent palmoplantar hidradenitis, Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis)UngroupedAcrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex · Acroosteolysis · Bubble hair deformity · Disseminate and recurrent infundibulofolliculitis · Erosive pustular dermatitis of the scalp · Erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli · Hair casts · Hair follicle nevus · Intermittent hair–follicle dystrophy · Keratosis pilaris atropicans · Kinking hair · Koenen's tumor · Lichen planopilaris · Lichen spinulosus · Loose anagen syndrome · Menkes kinky hair syndrome · Monilethrix · Parakeratosis pustulosa · Pili (Pili annulati · Pili bifurcati · Pili multigemini · Pili pseudoannulati · Pili torti) · Pityriasis amiantacea · Plica neuropathica · Poliosis · Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome · Setleis syndrome · Traumatic anserine folliculosis · Trichomegaly · Trichomycosis axillaris · Trichorrhexis (Trichorrhexis invaginata · Trichorrhexis nodosa) · Trichostasis spinulosa · Uncombable hair syndrome · Wooly hair · Wooly hair nevusSweat glands Miliaria (Colloid milium • Miliaria crystalline • Miliaria profunda • Miliaria pustulosa • Miliaria rubra • Occlusion miliaria • Postmiliarial hypohidrosis), Granulosis rubra nasi, Ross’ syndrome, Anhidrosis, Hyperhidrosis (Generalized, Gustatory, Palmoplantar)Body odor, Chromhidrosis, Fox–Fordyce diseaseSymptoms and signs: nervous and musculoskeletal systems (R25–R29, 781.0, 781.2–9) Primarily nervous system Primarily CNSLack of coordinationOtherPerceptual disorder: Hemispatial neglectPrimarily PNSPrimarily muscular Movement disordersOtherPrimarily skeletal Rachitic rosary · ClubbingPrimarily joint Joint lockingM: JNT
anat(h/c, u, t, l)/phys
noco(arth/defr/back/soft)/cong, sysi/epon, injr
proc, drug(M01C, M4)
Categories:- Conditions of the skin appendages
- Symptoms and signs: musculoskeletal system
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.