The Acute Blue Finger: Management and Outcome

INTRODUCTIONThe objective was to assess the management, and short- and longer-term outcome of patients presenting with an acute blue finger. PATIENTS AND METHODSThis was a retrospective, case-note review and prospective follow-up by telephone and general practitioner enquiry. All patients who presented with sudden onset blue discolouration of a finger within the previous 72 h, with normal radial and ulnar pulses, were included. RESULTSFrom 2000 to 2006, 22 patients, 15 female, 7 male, were reviewed. Median age was 56 years (range, 19–88 years). Median time from onset of blue finger was 6 days (range 1 day to 3 months). In most cases (17), no underlying cause was identified. Five patients had an underlying cause; two had symptoms compatible with Raynaud's phenomenon, one patient had signs (later confirmed on MRA) of arterial thoracic outlet syndrome and two had polycythaemia (haemoglobin > 17 g/dl). Otherwise, all laboratory investigations were normal. Upper limb duplex, echocardiogram and 24-h cardiac tap...