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:

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

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:

slightly pale stools

orange stool color

very strong appetite

confirmed liver cirrhosis

moderate right iliac pain

hepatitis A

constant fatigue

occasional unexplained vomiting

recent onset vomiting

seizures

frequent painful inguinal nodes

edema of the abdomen

... 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
Gluten Sensitivity	99%	Confirm
Crohn's Disease	15%	Unlikely
Pulmonary Fibrosis	15%	Unlikely
Sarcoidosis	1%	Ruled out
Hepatitis	0%	Ruled out
Cirrhosis Of The Liver	0%	Ruled out
Ulcerative Colitis	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

Ulcerative Colitis

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™