Recurrent Dupuytren's disease after fasciectomy and collagenase injection are histologically indistinguishable.

The aim of this study was to determine whether recurrent Dupuytren's disease after collagenase treatment differs histologically from recurrence in those treated with fasciectomy. We carried out a prospective cohort study of patients with Dupuytren's disease who underwent fasciectomy to treat disease recurrence after previous treatment with collagenase or fasciectomy. The pathologists and statistician were blinded to the previous treatment. Longitudinal biopsy sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and the nodular zones were examined. Fifteen patients were studied: nine previously treated with collagenase and six previously treated with fasciectomy. There were no histological differences between the samples from the two groups of patients. Dupuytren's disease recurrences after fasciectomy and collagenase are histologically indistinguishable.