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dupuytrenscontracture
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09/20/2003 23:49
richgrady

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09/20/2003 23:49
richgrady

not registered

dupuytrenscontracture

I have advanced d.c. in both hands [6 yrs.] and recently developed pain in both shoulders ,not intense but somtimes painfull.Will this incessant pain worsen as time goes by. i cant afford surgery at this time .Any prognosis or thoughts would be helpfull thank you RICH GRADY..

01/28/2006 23:23
albert w peters

not registered

01/28/2006 23:23
albert w peters

not registered

dupuytrenscontracture

can you give me details of this disease and way to cure it

01/28/2006 23:15
SusieQ 
01/28/2006 23:15
SusieQ 
Reply to Albert

Albert--a good place to get some basic information about Dupuytrens contracture and also about a form of treatment which is much less invasive than surgery is:

http://www.handcenter.org/newfile16.htm

There are only a handful (or two) of M.D.s so far who offer the newer procedure (Needle Aponevrotomy), so information about it can still be hard to find. But if you read up on it, you can make an informed choice about which treatment might be the best if you need it.

There is also a list a few topics down of M.D.s who offer N.A. and there are several more websites under some of the doctors' names.

And if you have the patience to read through the many and varied topics on this forum, you will also find that many of the participants here have been quite delighted with the newer procedure.

(If you can't find the list of doctors let me know and I will e-mail you a copy.)

Best of luck to you in any case!

Susan

01/28/2006 23:15
Alan

not registered

01/28/2006 23:15
Alan

not registered

Fm: Wikipedia

Dupuytren's contracture is a fixed flexion contracture of the hand where the fingers bend towards the palm and cannot be fully extended (straightened). It is named after the famous surgeon Baron Guillaume Dupuytren, who described an operation to correct the affliction.

The ring finger and pinky finger are the fingers most commonly affected, but Dupuytren's contracture may affect any or all of the fingers. Dupuytren's contracture progresses slowly and is usually painless. In patients with this condition, the tissues under the skin on the palm of the hand thicken and shorten so that the tendons connected to the fingers cannot move freely. The palmar fascia becomes hyperplastic and undergoes contracture. As a result, the affected fingers start to bend more and more and cannot be straightened.

Incidence increases after the age of 40; at this age men are affected more often than women. After the age of 80 the distribution is about even. Risk FactorsRegular operation of heavy machinery increases one's risk of developing Dupuytren's contracture; family history, diabetes, liver disease, alcoholism, epilepsy and pulmonary tuberculosis are also factors. Surgery of the hand may trigger growth of Dupuytren nodules and cords if an inclination existed before. Dupuytren's contracture may accompany fibrosing syndromes such as Peyronie's disease, Ledderhose's disease and Riedel's struma.

Treatment:

Surgery (in cases of severe contracture)
Radiation therapy (specifically in early stages)
Needle aponevrotomy (removes the contracture)
Triamcinolone injections provide some relief


Surgical management consists of opening the skin over the affected cords of fibrous tissue, and dissecting the fascia away. The tendons can then be brought out to length. The procedure is not curative, and patients may need re-do surgery, however, the thickened fascia often invests the digital nerves and arteries, so there is significant risk of de-vascularization of the digit.

Treatment of Dupuytren's disease with low energy x-rays (radiotherapy) may cure Morbus Dupuytren on a long term, specifically if applied in early stages of the disease.

Needle aponevrotomy is a minimal invasive technique where the cords are weakened through the insertion and manipulation of a small needle. Once weakened, the offending cords may be snapped by simply pulling the finger(s) straight. The nodules are not removed and might start growing again.

Currently in phase III of FDA approval is another promising therapy, the injection of collagenase. This procedure is similar to needle aponevrotomy, however the chords are weakened through the injection of small amounts of an enzyme that dissolves them.

This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

01/29/2006 23:33
Frances

not registered

01/29/2006 23:33
Frances

not registered

Truth in Advertising

Thanks for making that post Alan. Wow. Making it to an encyclopedia confirms to me that NA is definately definately sweeping the continent.

:-)

Frances

01/29/2006 23:05
Randy H.

not registered

01/29/2006 23:05
Randy H.

not registered

Truth in Advertising

Francis,

Well, actually what this should tell us is how significant *this* site is, and how many people on the Net who have Dups are reading it. Truth be told, I found the Wikipedia site some months ago, figured out how to modify the Dups description, and shall we say, *tweaked* it a bit. It was out of date. And now the fact that I did shows up back here at NA Ground Zero. Sorry, but not much can be made of Wikipedia's new *amazing* insights. :-)

02/03/2006 23:41
Don 
02/03/2006 23:41
Don 
Potaba

Have been searching the net and found an article from Dr Andrew Weil. He says that potaba could help with DC and that surgeons are probably not aware of it. It requiers a perscription. Does anyone have any experinces with this drug? My doctor will not perscribe it for me becuase his recommended surgeon said I require surgery.
Thanks for any help.

02/04/2006 23:02
Frances

not registered

02/04/2006 23:02
Frances

not registered

Potaba

Hi Don,

Surgery is a choice.

Frances

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