Heberden's nodes: concordant osteoarthritis of the fingers in identical twins

SummaryHeberden's nodes or osteoarthritis of the finger joints are described in two identical twins. The appearance of the hands and the bone changes in individual joints as shown by radiographs are remarkably alike. That the twins are identical is indicated by agreement of eye color, hair on the fingers, tasting of phenylthiocarbamide and of 8 blood groups. Evidence of a tendency to mirror imaging in the distribution of the disease among the fingers is seen.Osteoarthritis of the fingers occurs in these cases in the apparent absence of manifestations of osteoarthritis in other joints. Heberden's nodes is an hereditary disease but this seems to be the first description published of its occurrence in twins.