Clubbed Fingers and/or nails

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GG1995

New member
I have heard and read on this website that one of the signs of CF is that some people have clubbed fingers or distinct looking finger nails. Is this something that developes over time or are people with CF born with it? Does it happen to all people that have CF? Just curious because my daughter is 7 months old and she does not have clubbed fingers and she has DDF508.

Thanks!
 
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Printer

Active member
Clubbing is a sign of lung problems, not exclusively CF. As it was explained to me, because of a reduction of lung pressure upon the blood flow, oxygen doesn't get to the fingertips in the quantity that it should.

Before I was dx, a Doctor in the ER looked at my fingernails and said, oh you have had alot of lung problems. I thought that he was a nut, but he was right.

Bill
 
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GG1995

New member
Thank you all for your replies.

I was curious too because I didn't know if it happened more with any particular gene or not. I know that there are so many different genes and some affect different body parts in different ways..........so I didn't know if that had something to do with that or not.

I knew a girl back in the early to mid 90's. She had CF and ahe had clubbed fingers. Hers were so extreme that she looked like she had little bulbs on the end of her fingers. We didn't know it then, but she only had a few years left before she lost her fight.
 
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GG1995

New member
Printer said:
Clubbing is a sign of lung problems, not exclusively CF. As it was explained to me, because of a reduction of lung pressure upon the blood flow, oxygen doesn't get to the fingertips in the quantity that it should.

Before I was dx, a Doctor in the ER looked at my fingernails and said, oh you have had alot of lung problems. I thought that he was a nut, but he was right.

Bill
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Bill,

I read that too that it was a sign of different lung problems. I was reading in one of the forums the other day about a girl that was in a meeting and she noticed someone else in the meeting that had similar features to someone with CF. Clubbed fingers was one of the traits that she spoke of. That got me thinking about the girl I knew from a long time ago (see my post below or above) because she had CF and clubbed fingers, so I started researching to see if it happened to all people with CF or if it was a particular gene, or how common and what the signs that it starting to take shae or form. Thanks! :)
 
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GG1995

New member
JENNYC said:
Hi!! My little one is 7 and she does not have clubbed fingers either, and honestly I don't really know all that much about it, but I do know that they check her every time we go in so I am assuming it is something that can develop. Here is a helpful link that I just found on it....... http://voices.yahoo.com/cystic-fibrosis-cause-clubbing-fingertips-1951716.html. There's probably many more links that describe it as well. Hope this helps!! :)
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Hey Jenny!

I read that exact same article when I was researching it before I made my initial post. Great minds think alike!
The hand that is shown in the picture must be a mild case because the one case that I have seen in person was WAY more severe than that. Thanks for your response. :)
 
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LeChampion

New member
I'm 27, male and my clubbing has pretty much stayed the same my whole life...hands looks very similar to the photo on yahoo article. I've never had a "non-medical" person notice it. And Bill is correct about clubbing not being relegated to CF only. I attribute mine being less sever to higher PFTs/better lung function than some with CF.
 
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LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
Clubbing of the fingers/toes can develop over time or can be present at birth for many reasons. Acquired cardio-pulmonary disease or a congenital heart defect i.e. an inter-septum hole can cause clubbing to develop over time and ties with unresolved hypoxia. Today a hole through the heart chambers is surgically repaired in the womb. Clubbing at birth has been an indicator of several genetic conditions that don't involve chronic hypoxia to any degree. As much as I feel like punching people who proffer drivel like "i'm lucky, it could be worse" this is genuinely one that could be worse.
LL
 
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kitomd21

New member
DD has had clubbing since birth...she's too young for PFTs (4.5 yrs old), so I can't share clubbing in relation to dz stage. Hypoxia in her case cannot be the sole cause as it's been present since birth...there are others on this site that have had clubbing since childhood that have high PFTs...the exact cause is actually unknown. FYI, DD is homozygous dd508.
 
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amber682

New member
My DS is 7 and has no clubbing, DD is 3.5 and has slight clubbing, only me and the docs even notice it. She has for maybe a year? She does have more issues than DS with a reactive airway and asthma, etc. They are both Delta F 508 and Q 493 X
 
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azdesertrat

New member
I've had visibly clubbed nails all my life. I was told they woud get better post-trans. While I have noticed a slight improvement, I still have very visible clubbing. I think it is due to having had a bit more than 1/2 the right donated lung removed.
 
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