Dupuytren’s disease is a disease that affects the fascia of the hands. The fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that is under the skin in the palm of the hand and fingers; over time the fascia becomes tense and thickens, causing the fingers to deform, therefore, we can say that it is a disease that develops over the years.

What are the causes?

Some factors such as excessive alcohol consumption or repetitive trauma, such as the use of vibratory devices, can predispose the appearance of the disease, so we can say that there is no certainty for a specific cause, however, it seems to occur more frequently in people of northern European descent, from countries like Germany or Norway.

Which are the risk factors?

This disease is more frequent in men than in women and generally develops after the age of 50 years, occurring more in the descendants of northern Europe, British and Scandinavians. It is a hereditary disease and excessive consumption of alcohol and cigarettes can favor its appearance.

What are the symptoms?

Dupuytren’s disease begins with the presence of nodules under the skin of the palm of the hand, these can create cords along the length, causing deformity of the fingers. The damage of the deformity can be so great that in general people can be limited to carry out simple and daily activities, such as putting the hand flat on a surface, putting the hand in a pocket, shaking hands to say hello or washing the face.

These nodules or cords are usually tender to the touch, but they are not painful.

Does the disease affect the fingers?

The nodules that appear in the palm become cords, these can extend up to the fingers, causing them to involuntarily flex and deform due to the force that these cords exert on the tendons of the fingers, thus limiting mobility of the hand.

Which fingers are most affected?

The fourth finger (the ring finger) and the fifth finger (the little finger) are the most affected fingers, but the third finger of the hand can also be affected. The thumb and index finger are rarely affected.

What should be the ideal treatment?

The surgical treatment of Dupuytren’s disease is not easy, therefore, it is important that it is treated by a doctor, a specialist in hand and wrist surgery, who has all the experience in the procedure.

Treatment consists of removing from the palmar fascia the cords that are causing the deformity in the fingers; to achieve this objective large incisions or wounds are required, putting the nerves, arteries, veins and tendons that are in that area at risk, and there is also a greater risk of an infection or a poor healing scar.

There are other types of novel treatments which consist of reducing one incision or wound made in the palm of the hand, however, it has been shown that these type of procedures does not show good results for the patient, hence the importance that the surgical procedure is performed with a doctor who is an expert in hand surgery.