Term: phocomelia
Literally meaning: “seal limbs”
Origin: Anc Greek
φώκη/phoke(=seal)
μέλος/melos(=limb, part of body)
+(-ια)/(-ia)= suffix denoting condition (feminine)
Coined/History
In 1836 by French anatomist Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (1772 –1844)
Definition
Phocomelia is a rare congenital deformity that causes severe birth defects, especially of the upper limbs which are attached close to the trunk.
Thalidomide has been linked to a lot of cases of
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