Peripheral Nerve Dysfunction in Middle-Aged Subjects Born with Thalidomide Embryopathy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Phocomelia is an extremely rare congenital malformation that emerged as one extreme of a range of defects resulting from in utero exposure to thalidomide. Individuals with thalidomide embryopathy (TE) have reported developing symptoms suggestive of peripheral nervous system dysfunction in the mal-developed limbs in later life.

Methods

Case control study comparing TE subjects with upper limb anomalies and neuropathic symptoms with healthy controls using standard neurophysiological testing. Other causes of a peripheral neuropathy were excluded prior to assessment.

Results

Clinical examination of 17 subjects with TE (aged 50.4±1.3 [mean±standard deviation] years, 10 females) and 17 controls (37.9±9.0 years; 8 females) demonstrated features of upper limb compre

SUBMITTER: Nicotra A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4839770 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature