Case Report

New cases of thalidomide embryopathy in Brazil

  1. Lavinia Schuler-Faccini1,*,
  2. Rosa Castalia Franca Soares2,
  3. Artur Custodio Moreira de Sousa3,
  4. Claudia Maximino4,
  5. Expedito Luna5,
  6. Ida Vanessa Doderlein Schwartz1,6,
  7. Carolina Waldman5,
  8. Eduardo Enrique Castilla7

Article first published online: 3 AUG 2007

DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20384

Issue

Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology

Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology

Volume 79, Issue 9, pages 671–672, September 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Schuler-Faccini, L., Soares, R. C. F., de Sousa, A. C. M., Maximino, C., Luna, E., Schwartz, I. V. D., Waldman, C. and Castilla, E. E. (2007), New cases of thalidomide embryopathy in Brazil. Birth Defects Research Part A: Clinical and Molecular Teratology, 79: 671–672. doi: 10.1002/bdra.20384

Author Information

  1. 1

    Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul Genetics Department; Fundacao Faculdade Federal de Ciencias Medicas, Clinical Genetics Department, Porto Alegre, Brazil

  2. 2

    Ministry of Health-National Program for Leprosy Elimination (PNEH), Brasilia, Brazil

  3. 3

    Movement for the Reintegration of People Affected by Hanseniasis (Morhan), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

  4. 4

    Associacao Brasileira de Portadores da Sindrome de Talidomida, Sao Paulo, Brazil

  5. 5

    Ministy of Health - Health Surveillance Secretariat (SVS), Brasilia, Brazil

  6. 6

    Santo Antonio Child Hospital - Residence Program in Genetics, Porto Alegre, Brazil

  7. 7

    Fundacao Osvaldo Cruz - Latin-American collaborative study of congenital malformations - ECLAMC, Departamento de Genetica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

*Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - Genetics Department; Caixa Postal 15031 Agencia Campus UFRGS Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul 91501-970

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 6 SEP 2007
  2. Article first published online: 3 AUG 2007
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 16 JUN 2007
  4. Manuscript Received: 7 MAY 2007

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (47K)

Keywords:

  • thalidomide;
  • teratogenesis;
  • phocomelia

Abstract

Thalidomide is the best known human teratogen. Although withdrawn from the market in 1961, thalidomide was remarketed after 1965 in several countries, for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum. Thalidomide has a potent immunomodulatory property and has now a number of approved and off-label uses in dermatologic, oncologic, infectious and gastrointestinal conditions. In the U.S., FDA approved the use of thalidomide in 1998, but no cases of thalidomide embriophaty were registered after that. Since 1996 no new cases were reported in Latin America. However, the Teratogen Information Service (TIS) Porto Alegre, recorded three new cases of thalidomide embriophaty born in Brazil since 2005. Considering that these three cases were not registered through a systematic surveillance system, but that came to our attention through a series of coincidental random events, it can be assumed that the actual occurrence of affected babies by thalidomide continues being as frequent as denounced ten years ago. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (47K)