Chronic Idiopathic Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy

Abstract

THE clinician is often confronted with clubbed fingers in an otherwise healthy person. However, idiopathic hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, or clubbing with extensive bone and joint changes without underlying etiologic disease, is a rarity. Only recently has this subject been clarified,¹ the literature having been confused by a variety of titles such as "familial acromegaloid osteosis," "idiopathic familial generalized osteophytosis," "hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy without primary disease" and "acropachydermia with pachyperiostitis." As mentioned by Camp and Scanlan,¹ these terms have been used because of certain characteristics of the disease, such as its familial tendency, its superficial resemblance to acromegaly and its similarity to . . .