Dupuytren’s contracture is a disease that can make one or more fingers bend and difficult to stretch. It usually does not hurt and most people do not have any problems, but if you have any problems you can get treatment.
The disease is also usually called the Viking disease.
What happens in the body?
If you have Dupuytren’s contracture, you have a change in the substance of collagen found in the connective tissue plate that is in the palm of your hand. The collagen provides firmness and strength to the body’s tissues. At Dupuytren’s contracture, the connective tissue plate becomes shorter and thicker.
What it is that causes the disease is unclear, but it can be hereditary. Injuries and abrasion may be other possible causes. You may have the same type of changes in the arches, but this is less common.
Dupuytren’s contracture is common in people with diabetes.
Symptoms of Dupuytren’s contracture
It usually doesn’t hurt when you have Dupuytren’s contracture.
In the beginning, you can get a knot in the palm of your hand that is usually hard and sometimes feels sore. When the connective tissue plate becomes shorter over time, it appears as a hard strand under the skin in the direction of the fingers. The disease develops for a long time.
Later, the fingers can be contracted and bent, usually the little finger and the ring finger.
When and where should I seek care?
Most people who have Dupuytren’s contracture do not need to seek care. You can contact a health center if you have any problems.
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Treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture
You usually do not need treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture unless you have any particular problems. But you need treatment if you have difficulty using your hand. The treatment also includes training the hand afterward.
You will not be operated on if you have minor problems. The reason is that the condition often comes back and it is then more difficult to do new treatments.
There is a treatment method where you get a substance injected into your hand that dissolves the collagen. On a return visit the day after, the doctor extends his hand. The treatment may need to be repeated several times every four weeks.
In another part of the country, another method is called needle fasciotomy. The hard connective tissue strands that pull the fingers together are split through needle sticks through the skin.
Influence and participate in your care
You can seek care at any medical center or open specialist clinic you want throughout the country. Sometimes a referral to the open specialized care is required.
You should understand the information
In order for you to be involved in your care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare personnel.