What Could be Causing Nail Clubbing?

What Causes Nail Clubbing?

Nail clubbing can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'very minor' to 'generally fatal'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose nail clubbing, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "nail clubbing" as a symptom. Here are seven possibilities:

Cirrhosis Of The Liver
Ulcerative Colitis
Sarcoidosis
Hepatitis
Gluten Sensitivity
Crohn's Disease
Pulmonary Fibrosis

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

frequent episodes of diarrhea

having loose stools

frequent painful cervical nodes

edema of the abdomen

occasional painful urge to defecate

low TIBC

edema of the ankles/lower legs

blood transfusions

seizures

severe meal-induced pain

joint pain/swelling/stiffness

slight bitter taste in mouth

... and more than 110 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of nail clubbing:

Cause	Probability	Status
Cirrhosis Of The Liver	98%	Confirm
Sarcoidosis	28%	Unlikely
Ulcerative Colitis	14%	Unlikely
Gluten Sensitivity	1%	Ruled out
Hepatitis	1%	Ruled out
Pulmonary Fibrosis	0%	Ruled out
Crohn's Disease	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate abnormal fingernails and toenails, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Are your fingers or toes 'clubbed', being wider and bulging at the ends? Clubbed fingers or toes have nails that are wider and more rounded than normal, often curving downwards.

Possible responses:

→ No, my fingers are normal width / don't know
→ Yes, slightly
→ Yes, there is very noticeable clubbing

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either minor digital clubbing or significant digital clubbing, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Cirrhosis of the Liver

Crohn's Disease

Gluten Sensitivity / Celiac Disease

Hepatitis

Chronic hepatitis C can cause nail clubbing.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Sarcoidosis

Ulcerative Colitis

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™