04 Nov Dupuytren’s Contracture
Viking Disease – Dupuytren’s Contracture
Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition in which one or more fingers become permanently bent in a flexed position. It usually begins as small, hard nodules just under the skin of the palm, then worsens over time until the fingers can no longer be straightened. While typically not painful, some aching or itching may be present. The ring finger followed by the little and middle fingers are most commonly affected.
Dupuytren’s most often occurs in males over the age of 50. It is sometimes called the “Viking Disease”, since it is more common among those of Nordic descent. In the United States about 5% of people are affected at some point in time, while in Norway about 30% of men over 60 years old have the condition.
It is named after Guillaume Dupuytren, who first described the underlying mechanism in 1833.
I wonder how many Rosentreters have noticed this condition and whether it points to the family actually having Nordic origins…