Thalidomide embryopathy

What it is

Thalidomide embryopathy is a group of anomalies present in infants as a result of in utero exposure (between 20-36 days after fertilization) to thalidomide, a sedative used in treatment of a range of conditions, including morning sickness, leprosy and multiple myeloma. Thalidomine embryopathy is characterized by phocomelia, amelia, forelimb and hand plate anomalies (absence of humerus and/or forearm, femur and/or lower leg, thumb anomalies). Other anomalies include facial hemangiomas, and damages to ears (anotia, microtia), eyes (microphthalmia, anophthalmos, coloboma, strabismus), internal organs (kidney, heart, and gastrointestinal tract), genitalia, and heart. Infant mortality associated with thalidomide embryopathy is estimated to be as high as 40%. Thalidomide is contraindicated in pregnancy and pregnancy prevention is recommended in women under treatment.

Key facts

Prevalence

1-9 / 1 000 000

Age of onset

Antenatal, Neonatal

Inheritance

Not applicable

Classified as

Malformation syndrome

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Signs and symptoms

These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references