Significance of histopathological findings in Dupuytren's contracture.

Clinical and histopathological data were compared in a series of 59 patients with Dupuytren's contracture (DC) from the years 1946-1971 in order to clarify whether histopathological findings were in accordance with the clinical development of the disease. All well known histopathological features were inspected. The most valuable prognostic sign seemed to be the appearance of several active nodules, indicating rather rapid development of DC, with a high frequency of postoperative recurrence in these patients. Lack of active nodules did not exclude this possibility but made it less likely. Other occasional findings typical of DC such as the number of mitoses, microhaemorrhages, perivascular lymphocytic infiltrations and hypertrophied corpuscles of Vater-Paccini seemed to be of minor prognostic value. Mucopolysaccharides from DC tissue showed metachromasia with toluidine blue did not stain with HID-AB (high iron diamine-alcian blue) as HID positive in specimens preserved embedded in paraffin blocks for several years.