Aggressive? Maybe not.

A "diathesis" presentation is usually considered more aggressive Dupuytren's biology which includes a higher rate of recurrence among other things.

Some of the diathesis indicators are:
- immediate family with disease
- early age onset
- bilateral (both hands)
- more fingers involved
- disease on radial side of hand (index finger and thumb)
- other presentations of similar disease (feet, knuckles, shoulder, etc.)
- higher degree of nodularity
- rapid progression of disease

Edited 11/17/12 18:46

I think the question to ask right now is do you have any contracture? If the nodes are only growing, but there is no contracture, then I would think you have time to wait for treatment. But if your fingers start contracting, then I would think it is time to do something quickly, NA first to straighten the fingers and then RT to stop the progression. The faster your fingers are contracting, the sooner I would have treatment.

Tami1962, I also tick all those boxes although the rapid progression of disease is only from time to time. If it was rapid all the time i would be unable to function.

I don't think anyone knows what the prognosis is as I suspect there aren't that many of us. I know a number of people that have DD but I am the only one that has DD and LD both bilateral. In fact I don't know anyone outside this web site and my family with LD. I have also had frozen shoulder - both shoulders at the same time which was a real challenge.

Missing from the list is diabetes. I do not have this yet but I view it as inevitable. My aggressive gym program is an attempt to hold this off.

Biggest issue for me at the moment is the growth of nodules with no cord on my thumb through to index finger on my left hand. Also LD currently growing on the pad of my left foot just behind the toes. This growth is already starting to cause issues when I walk a lot. I am currently in Paris where walking long distances is a way of life and I am developing blisters around the new growth.

In the end though no big deal. I am 58 and have had this disease since my early teens.

I guess you can look forward to an a attack of frozen shoulder at some time and start checking for diabetes if you don't already have it.

I am a big fan of NA as it can be done again and again. Just had my third NA procedure on my right hand and will have my second NA procedure on my left hand Friday week.

Seph:

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Tami1962, I also tick all those boxes although the rapid progression of disease is only from time to time. If it was rapid all the time i would be unable to function.

I don't think anyone knows what the prognosis is as I suspect there aren't that many of us. I know a number of people that have DD but I am the only one that has DD and LD both bilateral. In fact I don't know anyone outside this web site and my family with LD. I have also had frozen shoulder - both shoulders at the same time which was a real challenge.

Missing from the list is diabetes. I do not have this yet but I view it as inevitable. My aggressive gym program is an attempt to hold this off.

Biggest issue for me at the moment is the growth of nodules with no cord on my thumb through to index finger on my left hand. Also LD currently growing on the pad of my left foot just behind the toes. This growth is already starting to cause issues when I walk a lot. I am currently in Paris where walking long distances is a way of life and I am developing blisters around the new growth.

In the end though no big deal. I am 58 and have had this disease since my early teens.

I guess you can look forward to an a attack of frozen shoulder at some time and start checking for diabetes if you don't already have it.

I am a big fan of NA as it can be done again and again. Just had my third NA procedure on my right hand and will have my second NA procedure on my left hand Friday week.

Edited 11/29/12 07:03

Thank you to all who have responded so far. I must say hearing what some of you have makes what I have so far seem pretty minor. I guess it starts small for all of us. Part of my original question was did anyone know a doctor in the Atlanta area doing RT? No one has responded to that yet.