Schamroth's sign

System: Chest & Breathing Signs · All chest & breathing signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

Pressing the nails of two opposite fingers together normally leaves a small diamond-shaped window of light; in clubbing the window disappears.

What a positive finding suggests

A bedside test associated with finger clubbing and its underlying causes.

◈ Behind the name

Leo Schamroth (1924–1988), South African cardiologist, who described the test using his own clubbed fingers.

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.