Hello All

I am 36 year old male from Helsinki Finland. I am a very active and passionate rock climber.

My story with dupuytrens started 4years ago when a small peasized lump appeared on my right palm on top of the pinky tendon
I watched it for a while and then decided to go show it to a doctor. It was a gp doctor and he, after examining it thought it is a ganglion cyst and said it will probably go away on its on and even if not it should only be treated if it starts bothering me.
So, i forgot about it, the lump did in fact go smaller to the point you cannot see it but definetly can feel it. There is some change of the look of the skin if you know to look for it(kind of a smiley face groove).

Fast forward 4years and another one appeared on my left palm on the middle finger tendon this time. From the experience on my right palm i thought its another ganglion but decided to go show it anyway. The doctor, a GP, thought it was something called DD.
I did not want to believe her and asked if she can try to aspirate it. Aspiration is a procedure for emptying the fluid content of a ganglion by a large needle.Nothing came out and home i went with some printouts of what is dupuytrens contracture and instructions to come back when contraction begins... After the pain and swelling went away i went to see a hand surgeon with similar diagnosis. Went back to GP to get it examined with ultrasound imaging and eventually another hand surgeon, MRI and now 3-4months later it´s official, i have had DD for 4 years. Only left hand was examined with ultrasound and MRI but i can only assume both hands are the same thing. Nodule on the left hand has gone bigger after it was poked with a needle and is now about 1cm in diameter and easy to see. No cord and this is the only nodule on my left hand. I get on occasion some mild sensation someone might call pain but it´s really mild and also some strange twitching of the middle finger. There is no contraction on either hand, although the left palm feels a bit tight.

This thing is really getting on my nerves, i may need to stop climbing as it´s definately not good for the DD and even if i continue i might not be able to climb for much longer after my condition gets worse? To say im depressed would be an understatement. This stupid thing is all i can think about.

For research this site has been a great resource. I have also been in contact with prof. S for a possible consultation and RT treatment Hamburg and he has been helpful.

I just can´t make the decision if i should wait and see or go to Hamburg so any insight on this from more experienced people would be much welcome. One thing i am afraid is the possibility of getting cancer.

My option now seem to be:

1.Get RT as soon as possible
2.Wait and see, maybe massage therapy and/or cortisone injections.
3.Surgery to remove the nodules now.

I have seen some comments on the threads that a lot(some saying even most) of people never need treatment for their DD.
Is this a fact only for the folks who get it in older age and it tends to not move so fast for them to need treatment before they pass away? Is it realistic to expect that i might not go beyond nodules given my age?

Thank you in advance if you take the time to read this and for any advice you can give me on how to proceed with treatment.

Best Regards

Aku

Hi Aku

I don't think I can add much to what Seph has said or what you have researched and found for yourself. It does appear that your DD is proceeding quite slowly? Four years between nodules, and despite perhaps your relative youth and active use of your hands. Any family history or other predispositions?

I think I understand the angst, as I play piano, and to lose that ability would be a huge blow; but actually now for me five years after the discovery, and although I have continued use of my hands for piano, I am now prepared if I lose some ability and to manage that possibilty. So you too may well come to terms, and possibly for many years, maybe forever, you will not have any functional problem, just lumps and occasional soreness.

I would keep a record, including symptoms, with photos, plan a course of action if things do progress. Maybe even visit ProfS, not for treatment, but the advice and knowledge he has; he might consider you too young or the condition not sufficiently active for effective RT right now. He does not always treat people he sees if he thinks it is not appropriate or ready.

Not sure what to say about rock climbing. Like Seph I also play tennis, and am quite active in the garden and with DIY (4 daughters means I'm their plumber, electrician, handyman, etc), but I do make an active effort to protect the hands. Having said that I was showing the grandson how to get up an indoor climbing wall last week, hurt my already sore shoulder, but the hands survived.

Best wishes
SB

Hello All

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and answering me.

I was aware that more climbers might be affected by this disease compared to the general public but was not aware of the study so thank you for pointing it out to me.
I have ruled out the option of early surgery already, i am still considering RT and have scheduled with an appointment with prof. S for mid april. but im not sure if it´s worth it for only consultation because of the cost of flying to Hamburg etc. so i am thinking of canceling it if i decide against RT.

Steph and SB, what age were you when you got the first symptoms and what age are you now?

I have no family history with DD, i´m not diabetic, not epileptic or liver disease, i don´t smoke(quit over 10 years ago), i do like to drink beer sometimes but im not alcoholic=) Climbing is the only one thing that would make me more prone for the disease. I used to be very active whitewater kayaker for over ten years and competed in freestyle kayaking before going full on for climbing. I normally climb 3 days a week or more but have been less able lately(down to once a week)because of devoleping golfers elbow roughly 2months before the nodule appeared(on the same hand).
I am thinking of turning my climbing activity down a notch as quitting is not a tempting option at the moment.

Anyhow, i have another consultation here in Finland in two weeks and i guess after that ill have to make up my mind on what to do or to do nothing at all.

At the moment the left middle finger is feeling stiffer than normal but no contracture. Not sure if it might be a cord or my tendon that i can see under the nodule when i stretch the hand and it is freaking me out some. The MRI report only talked about a nodule though.

Best Regards

Aku

I'm mid 60's and diagnosed late fifties although I had it before then, just didn't know what it was. I've had quite large knuckle pads since my teens, I remember trying to remove them thinking they were warts!

You only really have one shot with RT so it is wise to pick the moment carefully. Also I wonder if there is an adverse effect on ligaments and pulleys that might be a risk to a rock climber. Just thinking out loud, so this may be rubbish. But having had RT my hands do get dry in winter, with skin splits if I don't moisturise them.

I've had all manner of arm, wrist, hand and shoulder injuries from playing tennis, including quite nasty golfers elbow last year that caused me to stop for 3 months, and now rotator cuff and biceps tendinitis in the non-racquet holding arm. I have not noticed a link per-se between those injuries and any increase in DD activity.

Hello

An update in hopes someone else has had similar experience.
About a week ago, after a period of about two months of my left hand nodule getting slowly bigger and feeling a type of tightness increasing on my palm. In a couple of days the tightness dissapeared and my nodule seemed smaller and softer.

This was also confirmed by my sister who saw the nodule for the first time less than a week before(for the first time).

Has anyone had this type of exprience? Im seeing a hand surgeon tomorrow and after that i have to decide if im going to see professor S mid april.

I am concidering massage therapy and cortisone injections as an treatment option to RT.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Best Regards

Aku