I'm 31 yr old female with no family history of Dupuyren's and I'm still in the process of a diagnosis. I have a cord b/w my thumb and index finger bilaterally. My dominant hand is much tighter and is causing me a lot of trouble. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
You say you have a cord, which is a Dupuytren's symptom, and yet you also say you are in the process of a diagnosis, so this is slightly contradictory.
At this stage I would suggest you get a diagnosis from an experienced hand doctor, and listen to their suggestions, so that you either feel comfortable with this doctor, or would want to seek help from another one.
If Dupuytren's is confirmed, come back and explore further the range or treatment options and information on this site, and discuss here on the forum your options and other peoples experience. I think we would like to know how long you have noticed anything, what country you live in, other symptoms or risk factors and so on.
Thank you for your reply. I'm located in Ontario, Canada and I am of Ukrainian decent. I first started to notice my MCP joint on my right hand (dominant) contract about 3 years ago but it didn't bother me so I figured it was an old sports injury coming back to haunt me. I then started having neurological issues which was diagnosed as carpal tunnel in 2011. At that time my thumb was bothering me but thought it was atrophied thenar muscles due to the CPS. When I saw a plastic surgeon for a consult for a carpal tunnel release I asked if this procedure would "fix" my thumb. That's when he saw a tight cord in my webspace which was contracting my MCP on my thumb and said it "looked like a dupuytren's contracture". He was usure about it and now I'm waiting to see a specialist in London, Ontario. There is no family history, nor did I ever have a nodule. The rest of my hand is soft and no nodules are to be seen. I now have a cord (same place) that has not contracted my MCP on my left hand. Unfortunately my right hand has signifigantly tightned in this last month. Is there any other information that could help?
I've read everything on this website (twice). I am in the medical field and have acess to many databases and the only thing I've found that seemed to pertain to me was refered to as "aggressive" and "malignant". I'm not sure if anyone else knows about fibrous formations but my "cord" corresponds to the proximal transverse commissural ligament. Reading about how rare it is to have exclusive radial involvement and my age makes me concerned. Is anyone able to explain the use of the term malignant? Thank you again for your replies!
Dupuytren's is not considered to be a "malignant" disease. It will not spread to other tissues, nor is it a terminal condition. In what context was the word "malignant" used in relation to Dupuytren's. There are many diseases considerably worse than Dupuytren's and many people live out their lives coping with the disease. The only part of "malignant" that applies to Dupuytren's is "tending to become progressively worse", but even that is not consistent.
What information are you searching for that hasn't been answered?
"The natatory ligaments can often be involved. Their retraction closes the web space and restricts the spreading of the fingers. The fibres of the natatory ligaments contribute to the formation of the lateral digital sheet. Through this, their retraction can lead to a contracture of the proximal interphalangeal joint. The radial extension of the natatory ligament to the thumb and the first web (distal commissural ligament) can also be involved."
Hi Callie, Thank you for the link! I don't seem to fit in with the typical explination of the disease. Never did I have a nodual that formed then eventually turned into a cord. The ulnar side of my hand is soft and very flexible. I am unable to relate with any of the information listed on this site. I have a link to an old study (1982) that I found which I can "relate" to. Once I found this information I was able to research more and find more information. I've seen a handfull of specialist and I work in a hospital and I show my hands to everyone I can. Noone is able to label me and they keep asking to take pictures of my hands they say it looks like a dupuyten's contracture. Am I right by saying that they only true way to a diagnosis is pathological evaulation?
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