Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1965, Page 102

Dupuytrens Contracture
Constantine Lygonis.
This article was prompted by the frequency of Dupuytrens
contracture found in the small community of Sandur (Popula-
tion 31.12.1965: — 571) in the Faroe Islands.
The percentage of the affected people seemed in excess of
the accepted figures and further studies showed that all the
recorded cases are descendants of the same family.
The first cases appear after the arrival in Sandur of a Danish
Priest in 1783. He mar-ried on arrival with a local girl and
all subsequent cases are his descendants.
History.
The condition was first described by Platter in 1610, but
has been known as Dupuytrens contracture since Dupuytren
described the actual pathology in 1832 (Mercer 1955).
This is a localized condition with thickening of the palmar
fascia which involves the overlying skin and which shows a
strong tendency to contract and draw the affected fingers
into rigid flexion. The condition is essentially bilateral,
although the manifestation on two sides may not be simul-
taneous.
It may be associated with a similar condition of the plantar
fascia. It is a progressive condition, although the rate of pro-
gress may be infinitely variable, affecting principally the