finger clubbing
Finger clubbing, also called "drumstick fingers", is a common clinical sign in patients with heart or lung disease. The term is used to describe an enlargement of the distal phalanges of the fingers, giving them a drumstick or club-like appearance.
Clinical Presentation
Finger clubbing presents in a number of typical stages:
Pathology
The underlying pathogenesis of finger clubbing is unknown.
Associations
Finger clubbing is associated with a long list of chronic cardiopulmonary and GI diseases including :
- pulmonary disease
- lung cancer
- usually non-small cell carcinoma
- mesothelioma
- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- chronic suppurative pulmonary diseases
- lung cancer
- cardiac disease
- GI disease
- others
- thyrotoxicosis (i.e. thyroid acropachy)
- familial - generally prepubescent