Fingernail Changes

I have a real odd question? Does anyone have clubbed fingers due their Crohn's Disease? I am not talking about the crazy clubbing that you see pics of online but very mild changes. Its difficult to explain. There is a test called a schamroth window test. All my fingers have some type of window however the tips of my fingers are wider than the joint. It called the phalangeal depth raitio. This september the docs thought i may have sarcoidosis on top of crohns due to some high level of calcitriol so i had Pft's, an echo, and a chest ct and everything was normal. I am not sure if this is even considered clubbing but something that I just noticed. Quite frankly my nails could have always been like this. I have had crohns for 17 years.

The clubbing could an extra-intestinal manifestation of Crohn's. Finger clubbing is common in people with some kinds of arthritis. It could also be due to repeated physical damage to the fingers caused by certain activities - perhaps such as playing a lot volleyball where the fingers take a beating.

Its tough to explain how they look. I cant get a picture on here because the file is to big. Its like my finger pads are larger but the nail is totally normal. They do not curve down or anything.

Do you have any arthritis in your hands or have they been subjected to any other kind of inflammation or repeated physical damage?

No, not at all.

Ibwas able to shrink the picture and crop it. Not sure if you see what i am talking about. I am not even sure if this is clubbing or not.

Yes, that is a classic sign of Crohn's Disease.... One of the things one of my old doctor's picked up on right away......

Did it ever get better or worse? My crohns has been pretty much in remission so not sure why this is occuring other than it was always there and never noticed.

So i sent this picture to one of the online doctors to see if he thought this was clubbing. His opinion that this is not clubbing since the angle of the nail plate is normal and the first thing that happens with clubbing is you lose that angle and the nail grows down. After time the nailbed thickens causing the rounded fingers. Figured i would just close out the thread.

Mine club a little more than yours (rises up a little at the nail bed and then arcs down for about a 45 degree total deflection). I have been in remission for almost a decade and it has never left. Again, my original doc picked up on it pretty quickly. My nails are also somewhat softer than they used to be. I was told it could be nutritional.

shamrock15 said:

Mine club a little more than yours (rises up a little at the nail bed and then arcs down for about a 45 degree total deflection). I have been in remission for almost a decade and it has never left. Again, my original doc picked up on it pretty quickly. My nails are also somewhat softer than they used to be. I was told it could be nutritional.

Click to expand...

I am curious. Do you know what a Schamroth Test is? If not google it. Do you have a window between the nails?

I've made a picture of one of my nails, sorry it's very vague but the curve is plain to see. I can make window panes with all my fingers, yay me

According to may rheumatologist it's definitely clubbing. I can't remember them not looking like that however so would that mean I've always had Crohn?

And how come not everyone has them??

Are you sure your nails just arent naturally curved like that? From what i read if you can make a window your nail has a natural angle and with actual clubbing that angle is gone.

Could be, I never thought about it until the rheumatologist pointed it out and said it was clubbing. But then she knew about the Crohn's so maybe she just assumed that would be the cause? I'm not worried about it because I don't see a change but if I remember I'll ask my gastro.

I didn't know about Schamroth's test before. I may try to get a pic uploaded later. At least my fingers don't flare out at the ends.

Some good clubbing on my toenails too.

Here is a picture of a nail on my right hand. I think it is the most extreme one I have...other fingers have some clubbing but not quite so extreme.

Yea, you can see that is definitly clubbing. Looks a lot different than mine. Maybe i just have fat finger tips from typing on a keyboard all day., lol.

So its confirmed. My GI confirmed that I do have slight clubbing. He didnt say anything after that other than they have probably always been clubbed since my diagnosis in 2001 and they will not go back to normal but will also not get worse as long as my crohns is controlled. I guess since I had a normal chest CT and echo back in September it has to be Crohns related. Now I cant stop looking at everyones hands when I am out. Ugh I am a bit of a hypochondriac so cant get it out of my head that something else may be going on.

Hey emoney12,

I'm sorry you are dealing with this. It always seems to be something doesn't it? I don't think you are a hypochondriac, you really do, in fact have legitimate medical issues, no fault on you there. I would be concerned too. You can reach out to me if you ever need to talk privately or vent. I might not have gone through exactly the same thing, but I think I can at least relate.


Kind regards,

cmack

Do you have a window between the nails?

Yes, I have small windows or gaps between the nails. Assuming you are rerring tje the schamroth test.