Dupuytren’s contracture is a benign disorder characterized by a nodule formation and a fixed contracture of the palm area of the hand (due to a palmar fibromatosis), which leads to and increasing bending of the affected fingers towards the palm and to the inability to fully extend (straighten) them.
Dupuytren's contracture occurs as nodules and shrinkage in the area of the palm in consequence to a flexed position, especially the ring finger and the little finger. However, all other fingers can also be affected. Dupuytren's contracture has different degrees of severity, depending on how pronounced the diffraction or limitation of fingers extension is.
The precise cause of the condition is not clear, but it is considered to have a genetic origin, as it occurs often in families. This means that if a person has the gene responsible of the disease, other factors including smoking, diabetes, and certain medicines such as the one to treat epilepsy, may trigger the condition. However, the role of these factors is unclear. Usually, the early symptom of the condition is the growth of minor bulges of tissue. These lumps are called nodules and appear on the palm of a person’s hand. The person may also feel tenderness around the palm of his hand with the skin becoming thick as well as with unusual depressions on the palm. Within months or years, various bands of contracted tissue named cords may occur within the hand. This will make it hard for the affected person to straighten his fingers as much as he was able to do. Dupuytren’s contracture can affect both hands and sometimes just one. As the condition progresses, it is possible for the fingers to be pulled permanently into a bent position. The affected person will find it hard to execute activities including swimming, shaking someone’s hand or using a guitar.
Dupuytren's contracture is a benign condition that does not require mandatory treatment. If the loss of function of the hand through the flexed position and lack of stretchability of the fingers is too large, surgery is recommended, although is not a simple surgery, because in the affected area many vessels and nerves are present, the danger of injure of these structures is big. Numbness, restricted mobility, or reduced blood circulation are possible risks of an intervention. In addition, it is often that after a surgery a recurrence of the disease on adjacent fingers take place.
Several years of work in academia, medical practice and finally commercialization make it possible to provide an end-to-end process to help users to “find the appropriate medical help based on their present symptoms”. Below you will find a short explanation, showing you which part of the platform will help you best in finding the appropriate medical support.
Proceed as follows to enter your current symptoms.
Click on the appropriate body part on the picture. Select one/multiple symptoms corresponding to your complaint.
You can also add symptoms by typing your medical complaint in the search box and selecting the best matching suggestion.
Note: Your information will be kept anonymously.
Once you have selected all applicable symptoms, click the “analyze disease pattern”-button.
Accordingly, you will get a list of possible diseases and matching doctor categories who can further help you.
You can inform yourself about the possible diseases by reading the related information. But you can also return to the previous step and add more symptoms or delete already added ones to further narrow down your disease pattern.
Click on the desired doctor category to find a doctor who can help you.
If you are logged in with your profile, you will be displayed the appropriate doctors in your area. Otherwise you can enter an address in the “address” field and you will be displayed a doctor’s list around that specified address.
You will receive further information about the displayed doctors when you press on “details”.
Online bookable doctors in your area will be indicated with the notation “Book appointment” or “Book externally”, additionally they will be displayed on top of the list for your convenience.
Click on “Book appointment” to start the online appointment booking process with the desired doctor.
Please select an available appointment. “Green“ appointments are booked directly. “Red“ appointments need to be confirmed by the doctor.
Enter your general personal and health information.
Enter your present medical symptoms.
Enter your mobile phone number to identify yourself and you can finalize the appointment booking.
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