1. T
hink about how important
the use of your hands are
throughout the day. Driving,
writing, dressing, using a computer,
the list is almost endless. Are you
finding these everyday tasks more
difficult? You may have some signs
or symptoms of Dupuytren’s disease.
Dupuytren’s disease is a slowly
progressive condition, affecting the
palm of the hand and the fingers.
The condition can develop into
what is known as Dupuytren’s
contracture1
, where the finger bends
permanently toward the palm of
the hand. Dupuytren’s contracture
is a debilitating condition that can
severely impact everyday activities2
.
Jonathan Agnew
Former England cricketer and
commentator Jonathan Agnew is a
1
Townley WA, et al. Dupuytren’s contracture unfolded. BMJ 2006; 332: 397-400 2
NHS Choices website. Dupuytren’s contracture.Available from: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dupuytrens-contracture/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last accessed
04.10.11 3
Hurst LC, Badalamente MA, Hentz VR et al. New Eng J Med. 2009;361:968-979 4
Bayat and Mcgrouther, Management of Dupuytren’s disease – clear advice for an elusive condition, Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2006; 88: 3–8
Job code: CA0001373. Date of prep: November 2011
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Get a helping hand
Around 2 million people in the UK are affected by Dupuytren
,
s disease1
.
If you think you
,
re one of them, visit your GP. It is in your hands.
For more information visit
www.itisinyourhands.co.uk.
sufferer of Dupuytren’s contracture. It
particularly bothers him, as he is also
a keen pianist.
“I first thought something was
wrong just over ten years ago when
I noticed these strange bumps in my
hand, my sister-in-law (a GP) quickly
diagnosed me with Dupuytren’s
disease but didn’t seem too
concerned. A year later I was on a
train and tried to hang my jacket up
and my fingers got tangled. I noticed
that my little fingers on both hands
were really quite curled over and I
decided to do something about it.”
Since then, Jonathan has had seven
operations to remove the disease but
the condition continues to remain in
both his little fingers.
“Having Dupuytren’s contracture
can be very frustrating, you can’t
get coins out of your pockets and
it’s embarrassing to shake hands
which is a big part of my job. I do
get paranoid that people will notice,
particularly any future grandchildren.”
“My advice to anyone who might
have Dupuytren’s disease would
definitely be go and see your doctor.”
What to do
There are a range of surgical and
non-surgical treatment options
available for Dupuytren’s contracture,
so visit your GP to discuss them
further. Dupuytren’s contracture
gets progressively worse over
time. Although there is no cure,
diagnosis and treatment can prevent
progression and permanent damage
to the hand4
.
Symptoms of Dupuytren’s disease
• Thickening of the skin on the palm
of the hand1,3
• ‘Rope-like’ growth under the skin
on the palm1
• Tethering (as if the skin is being
pulled from the inside) and pitting
(indentation of the skin) on the
palm of the hand1
• Small painless lumps in the palm,
which you can touch2
• A finger bent inwards towards
the palm, which you are unable to
straighten2
Jonathan Agnew in action against Sri Lanka
and, inset, in his role as commentator
Jonathan’s right hand
Supported and funded by Pfizer Limited as part of a
disease awareness campaign.