Surgical Management of Pachydermodactyly (PDD) via Midaxial Incision: A Case Report

Abstract

Pachydermodactyly (PDD), meaning "thick skin finger" in Greek, is a rare, noninflammatory, benign, superficial fibromatosis. We report the case of PDD in a 15-year-old boy who visited our clinic because of asymptomatic swelling of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints on the third finger of both left and right hands. Physical examination revealed thickening of the skin in the radial and ulnar aspects of the PIP joints of his third finger of both hands without functional limitation or neurological symptoms. He had a habit of biting his swelling fingers, and he belonged to a basketball club at his junior high school. He had no medical history. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging of both hands showed only soft tissue thickening outside of the radial and ulnar collateral ligament of the bilateral third PIP joint. The lesions were suggestive of PDD. Surgical resection was performed via a midaxial incision and a Z-plasty to confirm the diagnosis and improve the aesthetic appearance of his hands. Histopathological examination of the lesions was compatible with PDD. After surgery on the left hand, the patient underwent the same surgery on the right hand. No recurrence or complications were observed at the one-year follow-up after surgical intervention. Thus, surgery for PDD via a midaxial incision may be a good treatment option for patients who wish to rectify the appearance of their digital deformity.