A new report describes two cases of poultry workers who developed chronically swollen knuckles, the hallmark sign of a rare skin condition known as pachydermodactyly. Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., said the joint swelling as well as pain, itching and burning both men felt in their hands was likely due to repeated injuries to the skin and tissue changes as a result, reports Reuters.
"Although there are not many cases reported, and pachydermodactyly is rare, I believe other poultry workers may have this condition despite the use of protective measures, such as, gloves," dermatologist Dr. Rita Pichardo-Geisinger, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health in an email.