Hello,

I don't know for sure if I have dupuytrens yet. I see my hand specialist this week. But I have developed tight tendons across my palms over the past few months. It was one tendon on my left hand initially. It has become three on the left hand and now two on the right. My fingers do not curl, the tendons just stick out on my palms.

I'm wondering if anyone knows if dupuytrens has any connection to scleroderma? I was diagnosed in the fall, so with this problem on my palms I can't help but wonder!

Thanks for any input.

No, they almost look just like the bones on the back of my hand but are on my palm. There is some swelling or bulging near my fingers....sort of in between them on the palm. My thumb pads have been killing me, too. Maybe it's not dupuytren's at all.

Thanks....at first I thought it was from scleroderma (maybe it is related), but when I looked around online and read about dupuytren's I got a little nervous. It appears the younger you are when you start this the more likely your fingers will contract. I'm in my mid-40s...not sure if that's considered young for this! I got nervous that I'll lose my ability to play my banjo and knit (two of my favorite things)....my daughter suggested seeing someone in case there's something that can be done early to keep that from happening. We wondered if there might be braces or something. Thanks for your input.

fivestring,

I think most people would discourage braces etc. for Dupuytren's. The disease seems to be more active when resisted or "messed with". Many people go through their whole lives with this disease not developing to the contraction stage... nothing to panic about. It is good to pay attention, however. If you notice nodules associated with the cords, or any independent nodules, you might consider irradiation. If the hands start to contract most people will now recommend NA in early stages of contraction. These procedures are explained very well in the drop down menus above.

It is usually much slower, sometimes decades.