Dactylitis or sausage digit is inflammation of an entire digit (a finger or toe), and can be painful.

The word dactyl comes from the Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 word "daktylos" meaning "finger". In its medical term, it refers to both the fingers and the toes.

Associated conditions

Dactylitis can occur in seronegative arthropathies

Spondyloarthropathy

Spondyloarthropathy is any joint disease of the vertebral column. Spondyloarthropathy with inflammation is called spondylarthritis. In contrast, spondylopathy is a disease of the vertebra itself, but many conditions involve both spondylopathy and spondyloarthropathy...

, such as psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis that, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation, will develop in up to 30 percent of people who have the chronic skin condition psoriasis...

 and ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis , previously known as Bekhterev's disease, Bekhterev syndrome, and Marie-Strümpell disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton with variable involvement of peripheral joints and nonarticular structures...

, in sickle-cell disease

Sickle-cell disease

Sickle-cell disease , or sickle-cell anaemia or drepanocytosis, is an autosomal recessive genetic blood disorder with overdominance, characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape. Sickling decreases the cells' flexibility and results in a risk of various...

 as result of a vasoocclusive crisis with bone infarcts, and in infectious conditions including tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

 and leprosy

Leprosy

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...

.

In sickle-cell disease it is manifested for the first time between 6-9 month old infants.