Dupuytren’s disease is a progressive condition that affects the inner layer (fascia) of the palm and digits in the hand, resulting in the development of thick nodules and subsequent finger contractures. This condition primarily affects the hand’s functionality, leading to deformities in specific areas.

Several factors have been associated with Dupuytren’s disease, including repetitive trauma, alcoholism, liver disease, diabetes, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, human immunodeficiency virus, cancers (as a paraneoplastic manifestation), and seizures.

Patients with Dupuytren’s contracture often experience:

• Tightened skin in the affected area.
• The presence of nodules beneath the skin’s surface can limit finger movements.
• Permanent bending of the affected fingers, making them difficult to straighten.
• Challenges in placing the affected hand in pockets or on tables.
• Impairment in grasping larger objects.

The characteristic progression from a palpable nodule in the palm to the development of a fibrotic cord-like structure, resulting in contracture of the palm and digits, is a defining feature of Dupuytren’s disease. The ring finger is most commonly affected, followed by the small finger, thumb, middle, and index fingers.

Signs of the disease include:

• Pitting or dimpling of the palm with distortion of the distal palmar crease.
• Deepening or widening of the skin creases of the palm (known as the Hugh Johnson sign).
• Painless nodules within the palm, most commonly located at the distal palmar crease overlying the ring finger axis and at the mid-finger crease within the finger.
• Development of fibrotic cords in the palm leads to progressive joint contractures, typically starting at the MCP joint and progressing to the PIP joint.