PLANTAR FIBROMATOSIS

Course overview

PLANTAR FIBROMATOSIS IS A BENIGN FIBROBLASTIC, CONNECTIVE TISSUE PROLIFERATIVE DISORDER OF THE SUPERFICIAL PLANTAR APONEUROSIS OF THE FOOT. IT BELONGS TO A FAMILY OF SIMILAR DISEASES (PEYRONIE AND DUPUYTREN) FIRST DESCRIBED IN 1610 BY PLATER. GEORGE LEDDERHOSE, A GERMAN PHYSICIAN, INITIALLY DESCRIBED THE DISEASE IN 1897 FOLLOWING HIS OBSERVATION OF FIFTY CASES. LEDDERHOSE DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED BY IDENTIFYING NODULES WITHIN THE CENTRAL OR MEDIAL BANDS OF THE PLANTAR FASCIA OF THE FOOT. PRESENTATION IS SLOW, AND PATIENTS USUALLY PRESENT AFTER THE DISEASE BECOMES LOCALLY AGGRESSIVE, CAUSING PAIN AND SWELLING IN THE MEDIAL NON-WEIGHT BEARING PLANTAR SURFACE OF THE FEET. THIS ACTIVITY DISCUSSES THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF PLANTAR FIBROMATOSIS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM. IT IS A RARER CONDITION THAN DUPUYTREN CONTRACTURE, WITH WHICH IT SHARES SOME SIMILARITIES REGARDING PATHOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY.