Pachydermodactyly: An Unknown Entity

Abstract

Pachydermodactyly is a rare benign disease that usually affects the dorsal skin and subcutaneous tissue of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers; the thumb is usually spared. Hyperkeratosis on the dorsal side of the affected areas is common. We present a case of a 19-year-old man who was diagnosed with pachydermodactyly after evaluation of a painless, progressive swelling and hyperkeratosis at the proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints of all fingers, bilaterally, for 6 years before presentation. Conservative treatment was prescribed and the patient remains asymptomatic. Given the benign and nonprogressive course of the disease, symptomatic treatment alone is all that is usually required.

Keywords: Pachydermodactyly; overuse; skin nodules.