Right, thanks a lot! I'll read this. Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer me

Edited 03/22/13 17:15

lina:

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Hi,
I'm a 35 year old female and I have been having problems with my hands for about a year and a half now. Mainly stiffness of the fingers at night and in the mornings, and mainly my ringfinger and pinky. They seem to want to bend inwards. Both hands are affected, although mostly left (right is my dominant hand). I have a strong feeling my hands are changing, also the tissue in the palm of my hands. Most of the time, I cannot wear my rings, because my knuckles seem to be swollen. Also, on the sole of my left foot, there's a lump (quite painless). I can still put both hands flat on the table.

I have seen 5 doctors about this: my GP, who thought it was Carpal Tunnel and referred me to a physiotherapist. That was about 4 months ago. He did an EMG on me, but there was nothing wrong with my nerves. He hardly looked at my hands and when I asked whether it could be Dupuytren's, he said it probably was but said there was nothing to worry about. On the same day, another doctor did an echo of the lump on my foot and said: I don't know what it is. I asked my GP if I could see a specialist in another hospital as I wasn't very happy about the one I went to.
She referred me to a plastic surgeon.

The plastic surgeon had a look and said he didn't know what it was. He said: maybe an inflammation of the tendon sheaths. But as he wasn't sure, he sent me to a colleague, who was a neurologist (under training!) and she didn't know at all what do to with me. So I left the hospital, again not very wiser.

Now, several months later, the problems are worsening. I can see and feel cords in my left hand (or are they tensed up tendons?) and in my right hand, I can clearly feel two small lumps. Also the tendon leading from my wrist to the palm of my left hand seems to be permanently tensed up. I know Dupuytren's has got nothing to do with tendons, by the way.

I am worrying a lot, as I am still relatively young and my hands seem to be changing quite rapidly. Where is this leading to? I feel hesitant about going to my GP again, asking for another referral. I've included a couple of pictures of my hands. I know it's impossible to make a diagnosis on the internet, but I would like to have your opinion. You know what the disease is like, and I have a feeling all the doctors/specialists I've seen so far were not very familiar with the disease.

By the way, my grandfather had Dupuytren's (at a late age), my uncle has a triger finger and my mum has sclerodermia (an autoimmune disease which affects the connective tissue. She also has a lot of hand problems).

Thank you so much in advance for your feedback!

Hi Flojo,

Thanks for your answer.
So can MRI give a definite answer to whether this is Dupuytren's or not?
Or maybe a puncture?

Thanks again.

Hi Lina,

looking at you picture again I really can't see anything in your hand but the nodule in your foot might well be Ledderhose.

If you have a very small nodule in your hand that is growing it might be a good target for radiotherapy. But a doctor first has to firm up the diagnosis and exclude other causes. As your picture doesn't show much it would be good to see an expert for Dupuytren's. Is Leuven far away from where you live? Prof. Ilse Degreef from the University of Leuven won the Dupuytren's Award in 2010 and is an expert in this disease http://www.dupuytren-online.info/dupuytren_award.html. Although her research is mainly in the treatment of very severe, therapy resistent cases of Dupuytren's I am sure she will be able to diagnose it in the very beginning as well. At least it might be worth a try!

Wolfgang

lina:

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...

Now, several months later, the problems are worsening. I can see and feel cords in my left hand (or are they tensed up tendons?) and in my right hand, I can clearly feel two small lumps. Also the tendon leading from my wrist to the palm of my left hand seems to be permanently tensed up. I know Dupuytren's has got nothing to do with tendons, by the way.

I am worrying a lot, as I am still relatively young and my hands seem to be changing quite rapidly. Where is this leading to? I feel hesitant about going to my GP again, asking for another referral. I've included a couple of pictures of my hands. I know it's impossible to make a diagnosis on the internet, but I would like to have your opinion. You know what the disease is like, and I have a feeling all the doctors/specialists I've seen so far were not very familiar with the disease.

By the way, my grandfather had Dupuytren's (at a late age), my uncle has a triger finger and my mum has sclerodermia (an autoimmune disease which affects the connective tissue. She also has a lot of hand problems).

Thank you so much in advance for your feedback!

Edited 03/26/13 09:14

Lina, I had an MRI on my palm with two big lumps and the MRI didnt even register the lumps. And I do have Dupuytren's.