Clubbing of the fingers or toes

Alternative Names

Home Care

There is no specific treatment for the clubbing itself. Home care depends on the diagnosis.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

If you notice clubbing, call your health care provider.

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
• Physical exam that looks at the lungs and chest

Medical history questions may include:

• Do you have any breathing difficulty?
• Does it affect the fingers, toes, or both?
• Is it becoming more noticeable?
• Is the skin ever bluish-colored?
• What other symptoms are also present?
• When did you first notice this?

The following tests may be done:

• Arterial blood gas
• Chest CT scan
• Chest x-ray
• Echocardiogram
• EKG
• Pulmonary function tests

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):1020-1028