Osler's nodes are painful, red, raised lesions found on the hands and feet. They are associated with a number of conditions, including

infective endocarditis Infective endocarditis is an infection of the inner surface of the heart, usually the valves. Signs and symptoms may include fever, small areas of bleeding into the skin, heart murmur, feeling tired, and low red blood cell count. Complication ...

, and are caused by

immune complex An immune complex, sometimes called an antigen-antibody complex or antigen-bound antibody, is a molecule formed from the binding of multiple antigens to antibodies. The bound antigen and antibody act as a unitary object, effectively an antigen o ...

deposition. Their presence is one definition of Osler's sign. __TOC__

Causes

Osler's nodes result from the deposition of

es. The resulting inflammatory response leads to swelling, redness, and pain that characterize these lesions. The nodes are commonly indicative of

subacute bacterial endocarditis Subacute bacterial endocarditis, abbreviated SBE, is a type of endocarditis (more specifically, infective endocarditis). Subacute bacterial endocarditis can be considered a form of type III hypersensitivity. Signs and symptoms Among the signs of ...

. 10–25% of endocarditis patients will have Osler's nodes. Other signs of endocarditis include

Roth's spot Roth's spots, also known as Litten spots or the Litten sign, are non-specific red spots with white or pale centres, seen on the retina and although traditionally associated with infective endocarditis, can occur in a number of other conditions incl ...

s and Janeway lesions. The latter, which also occur on the palms and soles, can be differentiated from Osler's nodes because they are non-tender. Osler's nodes can also be seen in *

Systemic lupus erythematosus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Comm ...

* Marantic endocarditis * Disseminated

gonococcal ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae'', also known as ''gonococcus'' (singular), or ''gonococci'' (plural), is a species of Gram-negative diplococci bacteria isolated by Albert Neisser in 1879. It causes the sexually transmitted genitourinary infection gon ...

infection * Distal to infected arterial

catheter In medicine, a catheter (/ˈkæθətər/) is a thin tube made from medical grade materials serving a broad range of functions. Catheters are medical devices that can be inserted in the body to treat diseases or perform a surgical procedure. Cat ...

Etymology

Osler's nodes are named after Sir

William Osler Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet, (; July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a Canadian physician and one of the "Big Four" founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Osler created the first residency program for specialty training of phy ...

who described them in the early twentieth century. He described them as "ephemeral spots of a painful nodular erythema, chiefly in the skin of the hands and feet."

References

Symptoms and signs: Cardiac William Osler {{med-sign-stub