Linda,

Dupuytren's tissue can grow on top of the hand; I have it myself. Most Dups tissue that forms on top of the hand appears as thick skin or "pads" located directly over the middle finger joints or the knuckles. These pads also appear above the first finger joint on some people. Wherever the location, this particular thickening of the skin is typically referred to as "knuckle pads" and statistically speaking, people with knuckle pads carry a very high risk of eventually developing the palmar nodules and chords that define Dupuytren's disease. Given your description however, this growth does not sound like a knuckle pad to me so I'd highly recommend that your friend see a doctor.