DUPUYTREN CONTRACTURE

Dupuytren contracture is a painless thickening and contracture of the tissue beneath the skin on the palm of the hand and finger. One or both hands may be affected. The ring finger is affected most often, followed by the little, middle, and index fingers. A small painless nodule or lump develops in the tissue below the skin on the palm side of the hand. Over time, it thickens into a cord-like band. This makes it difficult to then extend or straighten the fingers. In severe cases, straightening them is impossible. Your doctor may recommend exercises, warm water baths, splints, or surgery for treatment depending on the severity of the contracture along with other factors.

Dupuytren contracture is a painless thickening and contracture of the tissue, called the fascia, beneath the skin on the palm of the hand and finger. The fascia helps stabilize the skin. One or both hands may be affected. The ring finger is affected most often, followed by the little, middle, and index fingers. A small painless nodule or lump develops in the tissue below the skin on the palm side of the hand. Over time, it thickens into a cord-like band. This makes it difficult to then extend or straighten the fingers. In severe cases, straightening the finger is impossible.

This condition progresses very slowly. For a long period of time, it can be so mild that no treatment is necessary. However, when it becomes difficult to straighten the involved fingers, treatment may be helpful to reduce the contracture and improve range of motion. If the condition becomes severe, treatment is less likely to result in a full correction, so it is important that it be managed if symptoms are persistant. The cause of this disease is not fully understood but genetics play an important role. Factors like gender, ancestry, alcohol use, age and certain medical conditions contribute to the development of Dupuytren’s.

Symptoms include developing one or more small tender lumps in the palm of your hand, thickened tissue under the skin that look like cords and affect finger movement, and contractures where your fingers may be pulled towards your palm. As this happens, it can be difficult to fully straighten the fingers and perform simple tasks like gripping objects.

While there is no cure for the contractures, the condition is not life-threatening. Your doctor may recommend exercises, warm water baths, splints, steroid injections or surgery for treatment depending on the severity of the contracture along with other factors. Surgery is recommended for those that have a contracture that interferes with hand function.