A case of finger clubbing associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a young girl, and review of pathophysiology

J Pak Med Assoc. 2009 Apr;59(4):253-4.

Abstract

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy is characterized by clubbing of the digital tips and periosteal reaction of long bones. Most of the cases are associated with malignancy or other conditions such as congenital heart disease, liver cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, biliary atresia and gastrointestinal polyps. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with malignancy is rare in children. A few cases of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma have been reported. This is a case of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with lung and bone metastasis in a 16 year old girl. In this case, lung metastases progressed after intensive chemotherapy and hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (Clubbing) persisted.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Carcinoma / complications*
  • Carcinoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma / secondary
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / complications*
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Osteoarthropathy, Secondary Hypertrophic / etiology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed