Dactylitis or sausage digit is inflammation of an entire digit, and can be painful. The word dactyl comes from the Greek word "daktylos" meaning "finger". It was discovered by Dr.Nelson Ugbedeojo Abdul and Dr.Mercy Ameh Adeyi.In its medical term, it refers to both the fingers and the toes.
Dactylitis is a symptom that is most often seen in patients who have inflammatory Psoriatic or Rheumatoid arthritis, which are auto-immune diseases. It is also known as “Sausage Finger” or “Sausage Toe” because of the localized, painful swelling that causes digits to look like sausages.
What Causes Dactylitis? “Dactylitis is caused by uncontrolled inflammation that results from spondyloarthropathies, and can be associated with flaring of the underlying joint disease,” Dr. Idrees says.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
The first drug your doctor recommends for dactylitis will probably be a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. These medications ease swelling and pain. Some, like ibuprofen (Advil, Midol, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), are available over the counter.
Psoriatic arthritis involves inflammation in the joints, tendons, and ligaments, and dactylitis refers to pain and swelling in the fingers or toes. Psoriatic arthritis is a type of psoriatic disease.
Symptoms of scleroderma may include: Thickening and swelling of the fingers. Pale fingers that may become numb and tingle when exposed to cold or stress, known as Raynaud's phenomenon.
Early signs of PsA include swelling in the fingers, eye inflammation, fatigue, nail changes, and joint stiffness. PsA usually occurs in people who already have psoriasis, but it can also develop independently. It causes joint pain and inflammation.
Adapted complementary imaging examination provides the correct diagnosis among the main conditions associated with dactylitis: infection, peripheral spondyloarthritis, sarcoidosis, microcrystalline deposition, osteoid osteoma, sickle cell disease.
Over-the-counter (OTC) NSAIDs can reduce pain and inflammation. Talk to your provider before taking NSAIDs for more than 10 days in a row. Icing your affected digits or soaking your fingers or toes in cold water can help reduce the swelling too.
The fingers can become stiff and difficult to move. If diabetes has been poorly controlled for years, it can feel like you have pebbles in your fingertips. Hard, thick, and swollen-looking skin can spread, appearing on the forearms and upper arms. It can also develop on the upper back, shoulders, and neck.
With prompt treatment, the outlook for dactylitis tends to be good. The pain and swelling typically go away following treatment of the underlying condition. In the case of sickle cell-related dactylitis, the swelling usually goes away on its own. However, many causes of dactylitis are incurable chronic conditions.
Swelling-along with prickling or pain-occurs when circulation returns (as you warm up or your stress dissipates). The condition is common and more likely to occur in women than men, Dr Utset says.
“Worsening joint pain and swelling, or new or worsening psoriatic lesions, are the most common red flags that someone is having a PsA flare,” says Yamen Homsi, M.D., the section chief of rheumatology at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.
What does psoriatic arthritis look like on the hands? Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and “sausage” fingers, which may appear shortened. An X-ray may show a “pencil-in-cup” deformity, where the middle of a finger bone becomes narrow while the end of the bone takes on a cup shape.
Psoriatic Arthritis Blood Test: Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide Test. Blood tests that look for the presence of anti-cylic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCPs), which are inflammatory, are commonly used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, but anti-CCPs can also indicate psoriatic arthritis.
Fibromyalgia can also cause: forgetfulness or poor concentration. stress, worry or low mood. tingling, numbness or swelling of your hands and feet.
Raynaud's phenomenon is the short-term interruption of blood flow to the extremities, such as the fingers and toes. Raynaud's phenomenon may be a sign of an underlying autoimmune disorder such as scleroderma or lupus, so it's important to see your doctor for diagnosis.
Psoriatic Arthritis
The entire finger can become swollen (dactylitis), giving it a sausage-like appearance. About 80% of people with psoriatic arthritis have nail changes, pitting, thickening and/or separation from the nail bed.
Blistering distal dactylitis is a localized infection of the distal volar fat pad of the digits. Fingers are affected more commonly than toes. Most cases present in children 2 to 16 years of age.
Rheumatoid arthritis also causes swelling of the fingers. They may look sausage-shaped. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis of the hand and wrist include: A soft lump over the back of the hand that moves when lifting the fingers up.
In psoriatic patients who are HLA B27 positive dactylitis may develop after a prolonged period (months) of psychological stress.