Dupuytren's contracture in black Zimbabweans

Four cases of Dupuytren's contracture treated at Mpilo Central Hospital over the last 13 years are presented. Three of these patients were men aged 45, 59 and 74 years. Only one woman aged 55 years was treated during this period. All the four patients were indigenous Black Zimbabweans. There was some history of trauma to the affected upper limb in all three of the male patients and all of them agreed to being moderate smokers but only two gave a history of drinking alcohol. One of the men had been treated for pulmonary tuberculosis. The female patient has been on treatment for epilepsy for more than 10 years. There was no family history of Dupuytren's contracture in any of these patients. Although Dupuytren's contracture is generally considered to be a European disease this report and a few isolated case reports confirm that this condition occurs in indigenous Black Africans.