Dupuytrens Contracture Pictures

A disabling hand problem

Dupuytrens contracture pictures are a very important part in the education of anyone who wants to know about this terrible hand deformity problem.

Understandably, in the early stages of Dupuytrens contracture any person is very worried about small – and sometimes large – changes in the hand. Not knowing about a problem is often the worse part of a condition like this. Often the Internet is used as a fast and ready source of Dupuytrens contracture pictures. With this in mind, it might be a good idea for the reader to mark this website as a favorite page so that it can be used as a reference for information and support.

The gallery of Dupuytrens contracture pictures that follow can be used for general knowledge about the disease process, for comparison to what the reader might be experiencing, or just to see how bad the distortion can become.

These Dupuytrens contracture pictures are presented for your general education. They are not intended to assist in making a diagnosis of Dupuytrens contracture. If you have not yet visited your doctor to have your hand examined, they are offered to encourage you to seek prompt medical attention and a doctor’s opinion about your problem. Hopefully, after viewing these pictures you will feel perhaps relieved you are not so bad off in comparison to other people’s situation.

Please understand that the greatest aspect of this problem is not the appearance of the hand, but how the limited movement and restricted activities reduce the ability of the person to live a full and comfortable life.

Before viewing these Dupuytrens contracture pictures, it would be a good idea to review some of the basic information about this process. It is important that you keep in mind a basic understanding of the anatomy of the hand, and how the presence of fibrous tissue thickening in the palm can severely limit the use of the hand.

What is Dupuytrens contracture?
Dupuytren's contracture is a painless thickening and contracture (shortening) of the fibrous tissee beneath the skin on the palm of the hand and fingers. When this contracture is progressive, it may result in a deformity so significant that there is loss of normal use and mobility of the hand and fingers.

Cause
The cause of Dupuytrens contracture is unknown, but minor trauma and genetic factors appear to play a role. One or both hands may be affected, and the ring finger is affected most often, followed in frequency by the little, middle, and index fingers.

Progression
A small, painless nodule or thickening of tissue usually slowly develops in the connective tissue. Eventually it develops into a cord-like band that makes extension of the fingers difficult to impossible in the advanced stage of the disease.

Risk factors
Dupuytrens contracture occurs more often after the age of 40, and men are affected more often than women. Statistical risk factors, which are thought to be related from a metabolic standpoint, are alcoholism, diabetes, epilepsy, liver disease, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Symptoms

● Painless (usually) nodule in the palm, developing into a cord-like band
● Thickening and deepening of the lines in the palms of the hands
● Extending the fingers is difficult – most often the 4th and 5th fingers curl up and are unable to be easily straightened, preventing the open hand from laying flat on a tabletop

Signs and tests
A physical examination of the palm by palpation (or touch) confirms the presence of thickened scar tissue and characteristic contracture. Restriction of of full finger(s) range of motion is most common.

Prognosis or outcome
The disorder progresses at an unpredictable rate. Surgical treatment can usually restore normal movement to the finger, but the disease can often recur following surgery in a significant number of cases.

Complications

● Deformity of the hand
● Loss of hand function due to contracture
● Risk of injury to blood vessels and nerves during surgery
● Frequent reoccurance or redevelopment of Dupuytrens contracture after surgery

Dupuytrens Contracture Pictures: Education and Wake-Up Call

Hopefully, these pictures will be helpful to understand Dupuytrens contracture. Perhaps they can motivate you see your medical doctor, and then get busy with aggressive use of multiple conservative measures to improve your changes for self-recovery. Please review the section, Dupuytrens Treatment, to determine how to incorporate the aggressive use of multiple conservative measures to treat the fibrous thickening.

Please let DCI know if this section of the website has been helpful to you, and feel free to contribute your own Dupuytrens contracture pictures to DCI for inclusion on this website.

 


Dupuytrens contracture photos demonstrating fascial shortening, puckering, dimpling and thickening
in the palm, with variable flexion deformity of one or more fingers

For ideas and suggestions to organize an effective Alternative Medicine treatment plan, click Create Dupuytrens Treatment Plan