Phocomelia: a rare birth abnormality

Sayali Borse-Jichkar, Trupti Ishwardas Thakre

PAMJ-CM. 2023; 11:5. Published 05 Jan 2023 | doi:10.11604/pamj-cm.2023.11.5.36891

A 2-year-old male patient came to OPD of Mahatma Gandhi Ayurveda College, Hospital and Research Center, with complaint of underdeveloped right hand. On examination it is short in length as compared to normal and also there is absence of radius and ulna bones. Based on clinical features the provisional diagnosis Phocomelia was made. The upper and/or lower limbs may be affected by this uncommon birth abnormality. The bones of the affected limb are either absent or underdeveloped in those who have this disorder. As a result, the limb is drastically reduced in length, and in extreme cases, the hand or foot may even be directly connected to the trunk. The illness might affect only one limb or both the upper and lower limbs. The root cause of Phocomelia is frequently not well understood. It might be passed down through a genetic condition. The use of some medications by the mother during pregnancy, such as thalidomide, can also result in Phocomelia. There is no specific treatment for phocomelia. However, if it is part of a genetic syndrome, surgical intervention may be recommended for associated malformations. In addition, to meet the unique requirements of a child with phocomelia, parents, caregivers, and people with phocomelia alike are encouraged to seek professional therapy and prosthesis. It may be extremely helpful under any emotional and psychological strain of raising a differently-abled child.
Corresponding author
Sayali Borse-Jichkarm, Department of Kaumarbhritya, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College, Hospital and Research Centre, Contituent College of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Wardha, Maharashtra 442001, India (borsesayali2@gmail.com)

This image

Articles published in PAMJ-CM are Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

eISSN: 2707-2797


The PAMJ - Clinical Medicine (ISSN: 2707-2797) is a subsidiary of the Pan African Medical Journal. The contents of this journal is intended exclusively for professionals in the medical, paramedical and public health and other health sectors.

Currently tracked by: DOAJ, AIM, Google Scholar, AJOL, EBSCO, Scopus, Embase, IC, HINARI, Global Health, PubMed Central, PubMed/Medline, ESCI

Physical address: Kenya: 3rd Floor, Park Suite Building, Parkland Road, Nairobi. PoBox 38583-00100, tel: +254 (0)20-520-4356 | Cameroon: Immeuble TechnoPark Essos, Yaounde, PoBox: 10020 Yaounde, tel: +237 (0)24-309-5880