A patient who consults for curling fingers is a common situation in hand surgery. Based on history taking, it is possible to distinguish between an acute and chronic condition. In acute cases, patients often report a trauma. The differential diagnosis includes tendon injury or osteoarticular involvement, which are not discussed here.
In case of chronic symptoms, two pathological conditions must be considered, namely Dupuytren's disease and trigger finger. The diagnosis is mainly clinical, but can be assisted by ultrasound if necessary. For Dupuytren's disease, the treatment is usually conservative as long as the palm of the hand can be completely laid down on a flat surface. When this is no longer possible, treatment of the symptom, i.e. contracture, may be considered. Collagenase (Xiapex®) injections are the currently preferred treatment option. To date, there is no cure for this disease. Regarding trigger finger, corticosteroid infiltrations are the first-line treatment to be privileged. First-line surgery should only be considered in case of secondary trigger finger, where studies have shown a trend towards recurrence following infiltrations.
Key Words
Trigger finger, Dupuytren’s disease