Diabetes and trigger finger

Trigger finger is a stenosing tenovaginitis in which there is a constriction of the annular sheath associated with a nodule in the digital flexor tendon. Clinically this can present as triggering or snapping of the nodule as it passes through the tight constricting tendon sheath. Although many triggering fingers settle spontaneously, and others respond to local anesthetic and steroid injection, others require surgical decompression. The association between diabetes and trigger finger, although not widely known, has been described and forms part of the "diabetic hand syndrome". We studied 100 adult patients in the group that required surgery. Eighteen of the 100 patients were diabetic with six insulin dependent diabetics (IDDM) and 12 non-insulin dependent diabetics (NIDDM). In the current climate of day case surgery this has significant implications both for the management of known diabetics as well as the preoperative detection of those with the condition.