Dupuytren's contracture
Dupuytren's contracture is a thickening of the tissue under the skin of the palm of the hand, causing the skin to pucker up, and stick to the underlying tendons, which makes the fingers (most commonly the little finger and the ring finger) bend into the palm. This is painless, but the deformity caused by the progressive curvature may interfere with the function of the hand. In many cases the cause is unknown, but it may run in families, and may be associated with the development of fibrous tissue elsewhere in the body (such as in Peyronie's disease in men, causing curvature of the penis), alcohol abuse or the use of certain drugs used to treat epilepsy. Mild cases require no treatment, but surgery may be required.
|
