[Jmaca]

Every so many months, the top of one or more of my fingers will swell out hard and red. I always have joint swellings from arthritis, but this is something different: it's in the space between the joint and my fingernail. The whole thing swells out red, hard, and with shooting pains like arthritis. If I press on the flesh, it's actually quite white inside. It's almost like a thickened area of calcium.

The fingernail itself then gets disfigured and very lumpy, and even sometimes falls off. Eventually, the swelling goes away, but there's often residual sharp pains for a month or so.

I'm going through one of these bouts right now. Does anyone know what it might be? I've never had one while I've actually had a doctor's appointment. I've shown it to friends with lupus and RA and they don't know what it is either.

 

[raggedyann1]

Jmaca,

I wonder if you are getting calcinosis? It is something that can come and go. It is common with Scleroderma. Do you have a MCTD diagnosis? Even if you have "just" lupus there always seems to be symptoms that are usually seen in a different disease that crop up for some patients.

Here is a link to the Sclero.org website. It will take you to the page that discusses calcinosis.
http://www.sclero.org/medical/symptoms/skin/calcinosis.html

I would also suggest getting in to see your doctor right away so that they can assess for sure what is going on.

Take care,
Karen

 

[halfpintfl]

Hi Jmaca, welcome, I have something similar, but not exactly like you. My thumb nail deforms. It begins looking normal, then gets thin right in the center, then as the center begins to peel away in thin layers, it becoms Very lumpy and deformed. I had it checked out the very firstr time it happened and was told to just keep it covered, so that it wouldn't get caught on anything, till it grew out. That worked on the first one. Now I have it way worse on the same thumb again and on two fingers. But, I do not
have the bump on my finger that is b/4 my nail. Yes, I do have the pain. So, I know what you are going thru, I will see my Dermy soon and see what he says. I will also visit the sights on calcinosis. Sorry that I can't be of more help.
Please post when you get an answer.:wink2: ​

 

[Jmaca]

Thank you, Karen. I looked at some pics of calcinosis and it does look quite a bit like them, only not as extreme. I also checked out the osteoarthritis Heberden nodules but these bumps don't look like them, and they come and go. I've never been diagnosed with CREST, but do have a couple of the symptoms. My body, especially elbows, shoulders, and neck is full of calcium deposits.


Halfpintfl, that's interesting about your thumb. My right thumb does something similar, I think! Mine also gets thin in the center and peels away there. And it's painful and lumpy. But that too comes and goes. I always forget to ask the doctor about these things because other stuff seems more important.

I'm curious what your doctor's going to say.