THE GENETIC FACTOR IN DUPUYTREN'S DISEASE

1. The families of fifty patients with Dupuytren's disease have been investigated for its presence. 2. Familial occurrence has been found to be considerably higher than has been reported hitherto. 3. The findings suggest that genetic factors are of extreme importance in the pathogenesis of the common form of Dupuytren's disease. 4. A single gene, behaving as a Mendelian dominant, is likely to be involved. 5. Dupuytren's disease may not be a homogeneous condition from the pathogenic standpoint.