Affecting between 4% and 8% of individuals in the U.S., Dupuytren’s disease occurs when tissues in your hand start to thicken and tighten. Small bumps (called nodules) develop beneath the skin of your palm and some of your fingers, eventually forming a tight cord that bends your fingers and prevents them from straightening. While there is no cure for the condition, Dupuytren’s disease can be managed through treatment.
Speak with an orthopedic expert at Bayhealth.
Signs and Symptoms
While Dupuytren’s disease (also known as Dupuytren’s contracture) presents clear signs and symptoms, they may take several years to fully develop. Signs include the following.
- Nodules: The first sign of Dupuytren’s disease is the presence of nodules under the skin of your hand, starting where your fingers meet your palm. The nodules may be sore and could cause your skin to look bumpy or dimpled. In many cases, these nodules don’t get worse and eventually go away on their own.
- Cords: If the nodules continue growing, they’ll eventually form a thick cord that stretches from your ring and pinky fingers to your thumb. The cord gradually thickens and tightens, pulling on your fingers and creating tension during movement.
- Contracture: Eventually, the cord becomes so tight that it pulls the affected fingers inward toward your palm and prevents you from fully extending them.
Dupuytren’s disease can occur in one or both hands.
Risk Factors and Prevention
Although Dupuytren’s disease can affect anyone, several factors are known to increase your risk of developing the condition. Those factors include the following.
- Age: Individuals aged 50 and older are more likely to develop Dupuytren’s disease.
- Alcohol Use: Excessive consumption of alcohol over many years can increase the risk of developing conditions such as Dupuytren’s disease.
- Gender: Men are more likely to develop Dupuytren’s disease compared to women.
- Family: Individuals of European descent are at greater risk of Dupuytren’s disease.
- Other Conditions: Among the conditions that can increase the risk of developing Dupuytren’s disease are diabetes, epilepsy and vascular disease.
- Smoking: Long-term tobacco use has been linked to Dupuytren’s disease.
How We Diagnose Dupuytren’s Disease
Our orthopedic experts use the following procedures to diagnose Dupuytren’s.
- Physical Exam: In most cases, our experts can accurately diagnose Dupuytren’s disease by examining the physical symptoms of the condition.
- X-ray: A common medical imaging procedure, X-rays use radiation to capture colorless images of your bones, joints and soft tissue.
Treatment Options
While there is no known cure for Dupuytren’s disease, the condition can be managed with proper treatment. Our experts consider several factors when outlining your treatment plan, including your age, medical history and the severity of your case.
Treatment options include the following.
- Injections: Some cases of Dupuytren’s disease can be resolved through the injection of corticosteroids or collagenase, both of which aim to soften the cords.
- Needling: Called an aponeurotomy, this minimally invasive procedure uses a thin needle to break apart the cord and relieve tension in your hand.
- Surgery: Advanced cases of Dupuytren’s disease may require surgery to remove the thickened tissue from your hand.
Because Dupuytren’s disease cannot be cured, treatments may only bring temporary relief.
Speak with an orthopedic expert at Bayhealth about Dupuytren’s disease.