# I have Dupuytren's contracture **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204 "2018-03-07T21:30:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/1 "2018-03-07T21:30:03Z")
> **[Dupuytren's contracture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupuytren%27s_contracture)** > > Dupuytren's contracture (also called Dupuytren's disease, Morbus Dupuytren, Viking disease, palmar fibromatosis and Celtic hand) is a condition in which one or more fingers become permanently bent in a flexed position. It is named after Guillaume Dupuytren, who first described the underlying mechanism of action, followed by the first successful operation in 1831 and publication of the results in The Lancet in 1834. It usually begins as small, hard nodules just under the skin of the palm, The caus... Today I was told by a fellow Dupuytren’s contracture “sufferer” (who is otherwise a complete stranger) that it means I am 100% Aryan! Yippee! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/2 "2018-03-07T22:39:13Z")
I self diagnosed a few years ago. But for official purposes I showed it to me doctor at a physical a couple years ago. She immediately recognized it and was starting to show off her medical esoterica when I let her know that I already figured it out. My right hand started first and has only slowly progressed over the years but my left hand has decided to catch up. The main thing with the left is sometimes I get a sharp pain gripping something like a steering wheel. Yeah, all my ancestors going back 400+ years spoke a Germanic language. Stupid genes. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/3 "2018-03-07T23:47:41Z")
I have it as well, and [Ancestry.com](http://Ancestry.com) claims that I am a combination of English and Western European. I’m 70, and have had it for a couple of years. It’s in both hands, but fortunately mostly in my right hand (I’m left-handed). Because of that, I can still bowl, curl, and play golf. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/4 "2018-03-08T00:17:31Z")
Ah, the “viking disease”. It does affect other ethnic groups besides northern europeans, but it’s much less common in sub-saharan Africa and in the middle and far east. I’ve got a mild case in BOTH hands. Here’s the Dupuytren society official logo: [http://dupuytren.ru/img/ids.png](http://dupuytren.ru/img/ids.png) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/5 "2018-03-08T01:04:28Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Ah, the “viking disease”. It does affect other ethnic groups besides northern europeans, but it’s much less common in sub-saharan Africa and in the middle and far east. > > I’ve got a mild case in BOTH hands. > > Here’s the Dupuytren society official logo: [http://dupuytren.ru/img/ids.png](http://dupuytren.ru/img/ids.png) Is that logo for real? I’ll be shocked if it is. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/6 "2018-03-08T01:25:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Is that logo for real? > > I’ll be shocked if it is. Be shocked: [https://www.dupuytren-online.info/](https://www.dupuytren-online.info/) ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/7 "2018-03-08T01:28:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Is that logo for real? > > I’ll be shocked if it is. Now I wanna be a part of that society. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/8 "2018-03-08T01:30:24Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Is that logo for real? > > I’ll be shocked if it is. Educate the innocent amongst us, please? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/9 "2018-03-08T01:42:03Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Educate the innocent amongst us, please? 😕 [The Shocker!](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shocker_(hand_gesture)) ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/10 "2018-03-08T01:55:01Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [The Shocker!](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shocker_(hand_gesture)) I’m kinda offended they disregarded the role of the thumb. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/11 "2018-03-08T02:51:27Z")
The actor Bill Nighy has this, and some [other famous people](https://healthguides.healthgrades.com/article/7-famous-people-with-dupuytrens-contracture), too. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/12 "2018-03-08T03:01:12Z")
My dad had that as well. His ancestry was French and German. Wikipedia says doing manual labor is another risk factor, which my dad definitely did. Wiki also lists alcoholism as a risk factor. Dad may not have been a full-on alcoholic, but the man did drink a lot. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/13 "2018-03-08T13:04:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Is that logo for real? > > I’ll be shocked if it is. Nearly inhaled scrambled eggs when I read this.😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/14 "2018-03-08T13:22:14Z")
If and when it gets to the point where you have to have something done about it, please look into **Collagenase** injection. This treatment involves injections of an enzyme into the affected areas, which acts like a solvent to break up the adhesions between the tendons and the surrounding tissue. In my case it took a half-hour visit to the doctor to receive four injections into the palm of my hand, and a return visit forty-eight hours later, by which time my fingers were correctly aligned and had regained full movement. As of this writing some five years later, the contracture shows no sign of recurring. When we originally looked into treatment, the only option was surgical intervention, which would require months of recovery. We instead waited two and a half years for FDA approval of the collagenase therapy, and it was well worth the wait. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/15 "2018-03-08T13:28:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > [The Shocker!](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shocker_(hand_gesture)) Ignorance has been fought here today. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/16 "2018-03-08T14:26:52Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > If and when it gets to the point where you have to have something done about it, please look into **Collagenase** injection. Now that you mention it, I think my dad got that as well. ISTR that it helped him at least temporarily, but I think his symptoms had started to return before his death. But my memory is fuzzy now. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/17 "2018-03-08T14:42:19Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Now that you mention it, I think my dad got that as well. ISTR that it helped him at least temporarily, but I think his symptoms had started to return before his death. But my memory is fuzzy now. My doctor told me that Dupuytren’s is a progressive condition for which there is no cure (the various procedures available treat the symptoms, not the underlying disease) and that any treatment I underwent would be a temporary one. I had the needle aponeurotomy about eighteen months ago. Helped immensely, but the growth has come back. I’ll probably undergo the Collagenase injection sometime later this year. (I could undergo another NA procedure, but what the hell - let’s try something different.) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/18 "2018-03-08T18:33:35Z")
My dad had that. So far, I’ve avoided it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/19 "2018-03-09T00:01:48Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Ah, the “viking disease”. It does affect other ethnic groups besides northern europeans, but it’s much less common in sub-saharan Africa and in the middle and far east. Vikings traded slaves to the middle east, and Arab slavers raided as far north as Iceland and Norway. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204/20 "2018-03-09T00:19:05Z")
Did Jesus Christ have it? [https://www.google.com/search?q=christ+icon&client=firefox-b-1-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5gKnH-93ZAhWCTd8KHYKMDXQQ\_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=938](https://www.google.com/search?q=christ+icon&client=firefox-b-1-ab&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj5gKnH-93ZAhWCTd8KHYKMDXQQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=938) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-dupuytrens-contracture/810204.md?page=2)