Do I Have Dupuytren’s Contracture?

Do you have one or more small, tender lumps in your palm?

Do you have painless firm nodule under the skin of your palm?

Does the skin on your palm appear dimpled or puckered?

Do you have thick bands of tissue under the skin in the palm of the hand?

Do you have one or more fingers that have started to curl towards your palm (usually a ring finger or little finger)?

Do you have difficulty straightening your bent fingers or you can't straighten them at all?

Are you unable to lay your hand flat on a table, palm down (the tabletop test)?

Do you have pits or grooves in the skin compressed by the contracted finger?

Are you unable to perform everyday activities like shaking hands or shampooing your scalp?

Do you have a family history of Dupuytren's contracture?

Are you a middle age men of Northern European or Scandinavian descent?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have Dupuytren’s contracture. Dupuytren's contracture is a medical condition that refers to a deformity of the hand in which one or more fingers bend towards the palm. This condition affects the connective tissue underneath the skin of the palm. The connective tissue thickens, tightens and eventually pulls the fingers in a bent position. This type of bending due to the thickening of the tissue is called contracture. Dupuytren's contracture usually affects the ring finger and the little finger. It develops gradually over time and can interfere with hand function, making it difficult to perform daily activities.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have Dupuytren’s contracture. Dupuytren’s contracture represents a hand deformity due to an abnormal thickening of the fibrous layer of tissue under the skin of your palms. Over time, small hard lumps begin to form on your palm. They are usually painless and do not require treatment unless they bother you. Gradually, these lumps merge into thin strips of collagen that pull the fingers towards the palm. Dupuytren’s contracture can affect fingers on both hands, but the deformity is usually more pronounced on one hand than on the other. A diagnosis is based on the examination of your hand.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have Dupuytren’s contracture. Dupuytren’s contracture is a very characteristic deformity of the hand caused by the thickening of the connective tissues located just beneath the skin. Often, this thickened tissue contracts causing one or more fingers to bend toward the palm. If this condition develops slowly and does not interfere with the performance of daily tasks, treatment is not necessary. There is no cure for this condition, but there are several treatment options to alleviate severe finger contracture. Treatment involves needle aponeurotomy, enzyme injections or a surgical excision of the thickened tissue.