Treatment for finger-bending disease may be ‘gamechanger’

[Northerner]

Researchers have hailed a breakthrough in the treatment of a common, incurable disease that causes hand deformities by bending the fingers firmly into the palm.
A clinical trial at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities found that a drug used for rheumatoid arthritis appeared to drive Dupuytren’s disease into reverse when used early on, a result described as a potential “gamechanger” for patients.

“We are very keen to pursue this,” said Prof Jagdeep Nanchahal, a surgeon scientist who led the trial at Oxford’s Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology. “This is a very safe drug and it’s important patients can access a treatment if it’s likely to be effective.”
The disease is named after the French surgeon Baron Dupuytren, who besides claiming the honour of treating Napoleon’s haemorrhoids, acquired the arm of a dead man he had “kept an eye on”, not wishing to lose the opportunity to investigate his permanently retracted fingers. Dupuytren’s affects about 5 million people in the UK, half of whom have early stage progressive disease.

Treatment for finger-bending disease may be ‘gamechanger’

Clinical trial seems to show Dupuytren’s disease reversed by rheumatoid arthritis drug

www.theguardian.com

 

[Drummer]

That is really useful information - my father and brother both had the problem, and I thought I had escaped it until very recently when I noticed a small but rather painful lump in the palm of my hand.

 

[nonethewiser]

That is really useful information - my father and brother both had the problem, and I thought I had escaped it until very recently when I noticed a small but rather painful lump in the palm of my hand.

That could be something completely different, had 2 lumps in palm of hand for years, Dr said mine are Ganglion Cysts & completely harmless, mind don't get any pain with them..