Hey, so I've been having some serious pain that I just don't know if is related to DD. I have a very painful and potentially agressive form to begin with and a nodule in the center of my palm that likes to keep my up at night, to the point that I was given school accommodations to never have to write and work limitations on lifting to keep me from damaging my hands. More and more recently the finger all the way from this nodule to tip has been excruciatingly painful, like it feels like my PIP joint of my middle finger has been slammed in a car door. It generally acts up when my nodule acts up, but the palm pain has passed and left my middle joint in searing pain. I don't know if this is DD related or perhaps some form of arthritis starting?

I am a 27 yr old female, diagnosed with Dupuytrens early this year but with symptoms starting about 5 years ago when I noticed generalized hand/joint pain that came in waves and was worsened by writing. No contractures yet but a few nodules, mainly a dime sized nodule right below my middle finger's MCP joint. The PIP joint cracks constantly during normal bending, and pressure on the joint is seriously painful. I've tried reaching out to my doctor but he wants me to make an appointment and I don't have health insurance or the 125 dollars just for walking in the door.

Now I've noticed the joint is swollen... I had to do a double take when I realized how bad it had gotten. The finger usually is very warm and red like there is tons of inflammation, but that is normal when my DD is acting up in my palm nodule, my palms will turn bright red.. but recently my middle finger is SO noticeably warmer than my other fingers, which are usually cold from the AC, my middle finger feels like a fire. The joint is stiff and hurts to fully extend or make a fist, mainly the dorsal side, which is strange for DD. I don't have any bumps like knuckle pads but instead on this finger is almost like dimpled in, I have no idea. I just don't know if its DD related because its usually tied to DD flares when my nodule is painful to the touch, but that pain went away this time about a a week ago.

I've had no trauma to the area, I wear a warming compression glove to control the inflammation, take NSAIDS, use all the tricks up my sleeve I know for DD, use protective padded gloves when using my hands, and avoid writing or any other activity that can cause overuse. It comes and goes so it has to be DD related or perhaps something like arthritis? I haven't been tested for autoimmune problems for about 5 years, but do experience general autoimmune symptoms on the daily but have never had abnormal bloodwork. This is driving me crazy and I'm about to cut off this stupid finger.

p.s Sorry for flipping you off x2 in the picture it's my affected middle finger next to my normal middle finger.

My dd has presented very much like yours. I developed painful nodules in both palms first (3 years ago) with no contraction yet. The palms stopped hurting after the growth stopped. About a year after that three joints (right and left pinkies, right ring finger) swelled up so quickly I couldn't put a ring on I had worn the week before. I didn't even think about dd at the time, and neither did my rheumatologist. She was confused, it didn't feel like arthritis, but I definitely had growths on the joint. She sent me to a hand surgeon who immediately asked it I had dupuytren's. I turned my hands over and showed him the palms and he confirmed the growths were "knuckle pads" from the dd.

He gave me cortisone injections into the joints and within a week the swelling went down, and I could make a fist again and wear a ring. I used my hands a lot on a project a couple months ago and all three fingers are swollen and painful again, so I need to go back. The doctor had said they could usually resolve the knuckle pads with a second injection - so hopefully the next injection works for good. I will definitely be more careful with my hands next time.

If the pain and swelling are bothering you, it is definitely worth it to see a hand surgeon. Good luck!