Can anyone help me DIAGNOSE my mom's problem? It is so STRANGE!!!!

My 65 year old mom has all her fingers (from the big middle knuckle to the tip of the nails) that are red, swollen, painful, sometimes itchy, and have peeling skin on the ends with liquid leaking out. It appeared suddenly about a few months ago and sometimes gets worse and sometimes gets better. (when it gets better, the part that was swollen hardens and darkens.

She has tried changing soaps, using no soaps, using gloves - non-latex (she has latex allergies from years of being an RN), nitrile, etc... Nothing seems to totally cure it.

The weird thing is that it just stays at the TIPS of her fingers (beyond the middle knuckles) and doesn't spread to the rest of her hands. I feel so sorry for her because I love her so much. Could anyone help me?