If you notice lumps in your palm or thickened cords forming in your hands, you might have Dupuytren's disease. This condition happens when the tissue that connects your palm's skin to your hand thickens.
Patients are encouraged to monitor the site for changes. Treatment options include injections and surgery.
Dupuytren's disease causes the tissue in the palm to thicken and tighten. It starts with lumps and sometimes leads to cords that pull the fingers toward the palm.
It is often genetic, meaning it was passed down from parents. It is more common in people with ancestors from Scandinavia or the British Isles.
Most people only get lumps. It's impossible to predict if your fingers will bend. Nothing you do will change this risk.
If your finger is very bent, surgery might not be able to straighten it completely.
Dupuytren's disease is common. About 5% of people in the United States get it.
You'll notice lumps and cords in your palm. Sometimes, the fingers start to bend, but that doesn't happen to everyone.
If you have lumps or cords and aren't sure what they are, a plastic surgeon can help figure it out. If your finger is bending, you and your doctor can talk about straightening it.
Doctors diagnose Dupuytren's disease by talking to you and looking at your hand.
Treatment is not offered for lumps. Treatment is available for bent fingers, usually when they bend 30 degrees or more. Treatment doesn't cure Dupuytren's disease, and the bending can come back.
Options include:
Injections and needle release are usually equally effective. About 1 in 3 people find their finger bends again within three years.
With surgery, only 1 in 5 people find their finger bends again within five years.
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-04-04 by Teun Teunis, MD, PhD.
