The puffy hand of drug addiction. A study of the pathogenesis

Cutaneous complications of intravenous drug abuse

“…This phenomenon, called Ôpuffy handÕ syndrome by Abeles, 93 seems to be specific to addiction. 13,94 The Ôpuffy handÕ syndrome is a form of lymphoedema caused by the sclerosing action of the drugs. [92][93][94] Neviaser et al 94 demonstrated that the cause of Ôpuffy handÕ was a lymphatic obstruction.…”

“…The ‘puffy hand’ syndrome is a form of lymphoedema caused by the sclerosing action of the drugs 92–94 . Neviaser et al 94 . demonstrated that the cause of ‘puffy hand’ was a lymphatic obstruction.…”

Diagnostic clinical features of pentazocine‐induced ulcers

“…However, by 1969, the abuse potential of pentazocine had been recognized, 1 and subsequently reports of pentazocine abuse started appearing in the literature 2,3 . Cutaneous complications of parenteral pentazocine use/abuse were first reported in 1971, 4,5 and since then other reports have described deep punched‐out ulcers, 6–8 woody induration of skin, 6,7 puffy‐hand syndrome, 9 fibrous myopathy, 10–12 polymyositis 13 and venous thrombosis 14 …”

Puffy hand syndrome due to drug addiction: a case–control study of the pathogenesis

“…Subjects were past heroin users, mainly receiving methadone substitution. The subjects had puffy hand syndrome, the characteristics of which fulfilled previous descriptions [12,13]. The typical form is bilateral and swollen from the proximal segments of the fingers to the wrist.…”