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Heberden's nodes: concordant osteoarthritis of the fingers in identical twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Robert M. Stecher*
Affiliation:
From the Department of Medicine of Western Reserve University School of Medicine of City Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio

Summary

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Heberden's nodes or osteoarthritis of the finger joints are described in two identical twins. The appearance of the hands and the bone changes in individual joints as shown by radiographs are remarkably alike. That the twins are identical is indicated by agreement of eye color, hair on the fingers, tasting of phenylthiocarbamide and of 8 blood groups. Evidence of a tendency to mirror imaging in the distribution of the disease among the fingers is seen.

Osteoarthritis of the fingers occurs in these cases in the apparent absence of manifestations of osteoarthritis in other joints. Heberden's nodes is an hereditary disease but this seems to be the first description published of its occurrence in twins.

Sommario

SOMMARIO

Vengono descritti i nodi di Heberden (osteoartrite delle articolazioni delle dita) di due gemelle identiche. L'apparenza delle mani e le modificazioni ossee delle singole articolazioni, come rivelato dalle singole radiografie, sono notevolmente simili. Che le gemelle siano identiche viene indicato dalla concordanza del colore degli occhi, dei peli delle dita, della sensibilità gustativa alla feniltiocarbamide e da otto gruppi sanguigni. Si nota una tendenza alia specularità nella distribuzione della malattia nelle dita.

L'osteoartrite delle dita si verifica in questi casi nell'apparente assenza di manifestazioni di osteoartrite in altre articolazioni. I nodi di Heberden sono una malattia ereditaria, ma questa risulta essere la prima descrizione pubblican del suo verlficarsi nei gemelli.

Sommaire

SOMMAIRE

On trouvera ici la description des noeuds de Heberden (ostéoarthrite des articulations des doigts) de deux jumelles identiques. Il résulte des relatives radiographies une remarquable similitude dans l'apparence des mains et dans les modifications osseuses des différentes articulations. Le fait que les jumelles soient identiques est prouvé par la concordance de la couleur des yeux, des poils des doigts, de la sensibilité du goût à la phéniltiocarbamide et par les huit groupes sanguins. La distribution de la maladie dans les doigts dénote une tendance très nette à la spécularite. L'osteoarthrite des doigts se vérifie dans ce cas sans qu'il apparaisse de manifestations d'ostéoarthrite dans les autres articulations. Les nœuds de Heberden sont une maladie héréditaire mais c'ést la première fois, semble-t-il, que l'on en publie une description dans le cas de deux jumeaux.

Zusammenfassung

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG

Eine Beschreibung Heberdenscher Knoten oder Osteoarthritis der Fingergelenke in einem identischen Zwillingspaare wird hier dargeboten.

Der Anblick der Haende und die Veraenderungen in den Knochen der einzelnen Gelenke, die in den Roentgenogrammen gegezeigt werden, sind bemerkenswert aehnlich.

Die Identitaet der Zwillinge ist durch Uebereinstimmung der Augenfarbe, Haare auf den Fingern, Phenylthiocarbamideversuch und 8 Blutgruppen bestaetigt.

Die Verbreitung des Leidens scheint eine Neigung zu Spiegelbild-Formen zu haben. In den genannten Faellen erscheint die Osteoarthritis in den Fingern ohne andere Gelenke zu ergreifen.

Die Heberdenschen Knoten sind zweifellos ein hereditaeres Leiden; jedoch scheint dieses die erste Veroeffentlichung einer Beschreibung der Krankheit in einem Zwillingspaare zu sein.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1953

References

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