Nail clubbing may signal lung, heart & stomach diseases!

Nail clubbing is found in 29% of lung cancer patients! Nail clubbing has been known since the early days of the Greek philosopher Hippocrates, who recognized nail clubbing as a classic sign of disease. Today nail clubbing (a.k.a. ‘fingernail clubbing’ or the ‘Hippocratic fingernail’) is associated various lung diseases, especially lung cancer with non–small cell lung carcinoma. Nail clubbing is also linked with heart problems and gastrointestinal problems – but these are less common than lung problems. Statistics on nail clubbing & lung cancer: “Nail clubbing has been reported in 29% of patients with lung cancer and is observed more commonly in patients with non–small cell lung carcinoma (35%) than in patients with small cell lung carcinoma (4%).” How to recognize ‘clubbing fingernails’? Clubbing is usually a painless but complex fingernail disorder which often goes unnoticed of it’s presence in the hands of patients! In individuals without clubbing, if two opposing fingers are placed together, a diamond-shaped window will appear. In clubbing, this window is obliterated and the distal angle formed by the two nails becomes wider. This is known as the Schamroth sign window test. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • The clubbing nail: developments, treatment & prevention! • Hands on lung cancer: the clubbing fingernail! • Fingernail disorders & medical hand analysis! • What are the most common nail disorders? • Megan Fox has a ‘clubbed thumb’ – not to be confused with ‘fingernail clubbing’!

Actress Megan Fox has the clubbed thumb (BDD) – it’s a hereditary cosmetic defect!

Megan Fox has clubbed thumbs! In the summer of 2009 Megan Fox’s right thumb became news after new photos of her indicated that the beauty has a rather misshapen thumb – as compared to the ‘natural’ thumb standard that is seen everywhere in the world. What do we know about this rather remarkable type of thumb? Having your thumb in the form of a club, which is called brachydactyly – type D (BDD), which is a minor affliction that can be found in 1 out of every 1,000 people. Local hand surgeons know everything about it there is to know. More Megan Fox thumbs: impressions of Megan’s club thumb: - MORE FAMOUS & SEXY THUMBS - Dr. Steven Bendner, the leading hand surgery expert at Beth Israel Medical Center, explains that the case of the thumb that looks a bit flattened and therefore shorter, is often a peculiarity that comes down in the family: “The nail of the thumb in this condition is often very short and wide. It is usually hereditary, although it could also have been caused by frostbite, or it could have been an injury to the growth plate in childhood. While one is young, the thumb often looks more or less ordinary, but with the passing of time its shortened condition begins to stand out more and more.” So, contrary to ‘fingernail clubbing‘, a clubbed thumb is usually nothing to worry about! Dr. Richard Kim, director of congenital hand surgery at Hackensack Medical Center, warns us not to play down the importance of the thumb.: “You need it to be able to touch the other fingers and it is important for pinching. In Megan Fox’s case, it appears that only the last bone of the thumb is affected and that it does not involve the joint. For her, it looks like it’s just a cosmetic deficit.” Why this story about the Megan Fox thumb? Hopefully, knowing about Megan Fox’s little imperfection will help other people to realize that – when not overplayed by the owner – a small cosmetic defect might only add to the charms of a person. Now, maybe you would like to hear more about the ‘double thumb’ (in his case a combination of ‘polydactyly‘ & ‘syndactyly‘) of the famous Indian Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan??? SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • An ‘Ode to the thumb’ – by French sculptor César Baldaccini! • Fingernail clubbing might signal various medical problems! • Join the brachydactyly type D Facebook club! • The world of clubbed thumbs Indian Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan has a double thumb – his right thumb might be the weirdest thumb that you ever saw!: