Clubbing of the fingers or toesDefinition: Clubbing is a thickening of the flesh under�toe and finger�nails.�The nail�curves downward,�instead of lying flat.
Alternative Names: Clubbing
Considerations: Clubbing is associated with a wide number of diseases. It is most often�noted in heart and lung diseases that cause decreased blood oxygen and blue�skin (cyanosis). Clubbing may also be due to lung lung cancer, and�diseases of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract. Clubbing may also occur in families. In this�case it�may�not�be due to�an underlying disease.
Home Care: There is no specific treatment for the clubbing itself. Home care depends on the specific diagnosis.
Call your health care provider if: If you notice clubbing, call your health care provider.
What to expect at your health care provider's office: A person with clubbing generally has other symptoms and signs that define a specific condition. Diagnosis of that condition is based on family history, medical history, and�a physical exam that looks at the lungs and chest.� Medical history questions may include: - When did you first notice this?
- Does it affect the fingers, toes, or both?
- Has it been becoming more noticeable?
- What other symptoms are also present?
- Is there any breathing difficulty?
- Is the skin ever bluish colored?
The following tests may be done:
References: Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo; WB Saunders; 2005:78-79. Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000:506.� Spicknall KE. Clubbing: an update on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005; 52(6): 1020-8
| 
