Clubbing of the nails is soft tissue swelling of the terminal phalanx resulting in straightening of the angle that exists between the nail bed and the nail. The association of clubbing of the fingers with an underlying disease was known since the time of Hippocrates. Clubbing occurs in combination with other dermatologic and skeletal findings but can also less commonly occur in isolation. Although clubbing can present in many diverse conditions, it can be idiopathic or familial; the familial form frequently transmits as a dominant trait.
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