Friday, March 01, 2013

A Mild Case of Dupuytren's Contracture

My father has lumpy palms which I had thought were callouses or some kind of arthritis or something. Then about a year ago a similar lump appeared on my right palm. Didn't bother me much as it didn't hurt and, given as how I am my father's son, hardly surprising - more "Ho, hum, here we go: the start of old age crumbling."

Then a facebook friend posted a picture of his bandaged hand following surgery for Dupuytren's contracture. I Googled the condition and there was picture of a hand looking just like mine!

Wikipedia picture
My hand
Dad's hand
(sorry about the colour - iPhone in low light level)
According to Wikipedia:
  • "It is an inherited proliferative connective tissue disorder" - tick! like father like son.
  • "The ring finger and little finger are the fingers most commonly affected." - tick! both Dad's ring fingers show it, now my right hand, I expect the left is a matter of time.
  • "Dupuytren's contracture progresses slowly and is usually painless." - phew! certainly true in Dad's case so here's hoping.
At least I know what my hands will look like in 27 years time.

at

6 comments:

  1. Unknown4:33 pm

    How is your hand condition now, 4 years later?

    Chris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark McLellan6:33 pm

      A little more pronounced but hardly so as you'd notice.

      Delete
  2. Unknown3:39 pm

    So about 5 years running for yours, good to know it is moving slowly for you. I cannot remember when I first noticed the bumps in my left hand, but it had to be about 3-4 years ago and it looks much like the picture of yours in the blog. Just this week I started having mild pain in my right palm and I can feel the start of a bump on my ring finger. No pulling of the fingers towards my palms yet though. We are trying massage to prevent that as much as possible.

    Chris

    ReplyDelete
  3. hughg12:36 pm

    I just realised this is what I have. I found this facebook group for the UK society for this disease:-

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1462124944043779/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous6:00 am

    There is low dose radiation therapy that can slow or stop the disease in its tracks, before the fingers curl up. Check out DART on Facebook. A support group for Dupuytren’s & Ledderhose disease. The latter affects the feet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Chris C3:34 pm

    Hey, Matthew. I just discovered I also have this. I was conducting a review of systems with my dad, and when we reached his hands, he started telling me about it. Sure enough, I had a similar history, and at 52, the lump in my right hand is bulging. You can do several things in the doctor's office before it gets to the finger curling stage (late stages). The further along your symptoms are, the fewer options for treatment there are. It is hereditary and genetically driven, so if you remove a lump, it will return, but it is slow-progressing. Thanks for all the information. I would get this looked at as soon as you realize this is affecting you (that you have this, or when you start to feel a lump in your hand.

    Chris C (NYC)

    ReplyDelete