[If digital clubbing appears bear Marie-Bamberger disease in mind]

Secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, also known as Marie-Bamberger disease, occurs in up to 5 % of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). If the syndrome constellation of finger clubbing and bone pain on palpation is recognized early, lung cancer can be diagnosed at an early stage. This article reports the case of a 52-year-old male patient with knee pain, distal edema, watchglass nails and finger clubbing which first appeared in August 2013. Following angiologic, cardiologic and orthopedic consultations radiographs of the hands, feet and lungs were taken. Following the presumptive diagnosis of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy, the patient was referred to a specialist pulmonary clinic where an adenocarcinoma of the lungs was diagnosed.