[Genetic aspect of Dupuytren's diseases]

Dupuytren's disease is a connective tissue disorder leading to the shortening of the palmar aponeurosis and progressive digital flexion deformity. Despite decades of both scientific and clinical investigations the precise etiology and tissue origin of Dupuytren's disease remains unclear. Several authors focused their studies on the genetics of Dupuytren's disease and postulated either autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. The limited number of members of families affected with the disease makes it difficult to determine the mode of inheritance. A particular difficulty is the late age of the onset of Dupuytren's disease, which in most cases limits examination to two generations. Age-related, dominant inheritance is a mode favored by several authors whereas others consider autosomal recessive inheritance as a possible explanation for sporadic cases of Dupuytren's disease. A gene that increases susceptibility to the disease may do so by rendering the tissue more sensitive to the effects of environmental exposures. This article summarizes current studies on various modes of inheritance in Dupuytren's disease.