Abstract
Summary
1. Treatment with 300 mg of alpha-tocopherol acetate daily was given to 19 old patients with Dupuytren's contracture (26 contracted hands) for a period of 300 days. Following discontinuation of the treatment the patients were followed for another 350 days. Before therapy and at various intervals during and after alpha-tocopherol administration determinations were made of the plasma tocopherol concentration and permanent plaster casts prepared of the affected hands in maximal passive dorsal flexion. 2. The alpha-tocopherol administration resulted in a slow but steady rise of the mean plasma tocopherol level from 0.55 to 1.37 mg %; after discontinuation of the treatment the concentration again fell to the original level. A moderate, but statistically certain effect of the therapy was observed on the condition of the hands. Thus, during the treatment the volume of the palmar concavity decreased from 18.2 to 13.2 ml, and the angle between the fifth finger and the palmar surface increased by 14.7°. The improvement continued for some time after discontinuation of the therapy, but some regression had taken place on examination 350 days after the end of the alpha-tocopherol treatment.
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