Dupuytren's started when I was a teen, and has grown in various ways. Now at age 55, I've seen enough of the diathesis to note in my body the symmetry of band and nodule development. First both little fingers PIP's, then nodules atop both thumbs PIPs, bands contracting both thumb webs, and now... what really inspired this post, a band growing on the lateral side of the right thumb, and what looks to be the same band growing on the lateral side of the right big toe!!! A year ago neither band was present.

The symmetry of DD development is impressive. I wonder what the systemic chemical signals are? and what are the receptors on the fibroblasts? I suppose I should begin digging into the etiologic biochemistry......

Looking back, I now know that my DD started in the thumb. I dismissed it as arthritis at the time. I'd feel some pain when I did a yoga position putting my hands down with weight on them. I felt it in the first (meta?) joint of my right thumb about 3 years ago.

I have been feeling the same thing in my left thumb for about 6 months so I know that's coming. I do have visible cords with no contracture in my left palm in line with my forefinger but not up to the forefinger. Oops! I just felt a nodule in the first joint of my left forefinger. I don't have and never had a nodule on my right forefinger. When I press on the nodule it is a little tender and it pulls the cord in palm, so I guess it does go all the way to my forefinger. There is another cord starting from the meta joint of my left thumb out toward the web and it intersects the other cord at an angle.

I hadn't thought about it before but it does look like it could be read as some degree of symmetry.

Weird.