[Dupuytren's disease]

Abstract

Dupuytren's disease is a fibromatosis affecting the hand. The disease affects the hand and fingers and may present with a contracture causing increasing disability of the hand. We can treat the symptoms but not its cause. In this article we review the background, diagnosis and methods of treatment of the disease. Although the mainstay of treatment accepted by most is surgical, use of collagenase injections aimed at chemically disintegrating pathologic cords may emerge as an important addition to the armamentarium of treatments for Dupuytren's disease.