Thalidomide may be a mutagen

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Abstract
Case 1 In July last year a girl was born in Peterborough with no thumbs and only two digits on both hands. She has severe malformations of both legs, and the left leg is much shorter than the right. Both feet taper to one toe, neither of which has nails. Her father was born in 1960 with malformations of both hands and both legs. He was treated at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and his legs were amputated below the knee because of the severe malformations of both feet. He was assessed by the Thalidomide Victims' Compensation Panel and was awarded substantial damages and an annual pension for his severe disabilities. His mother, who is now dead, said that she had taken six to eight thalidomide tablets. The affected child has two siblings, both boys, who are normal. Her mother was well during the pregnancy, had no bleeding in the early weeks of pregnancy, and took no medication. She had three ultrasound scans. The x ray report of the child's limbs showed slight shortening and bowing of both tibiae with overgrowth of the fibula, probably resulting in dislocation of the ankle. Ossification was seen in a slightly enlarged calcaneum, with one tarsal ossification centre and one metatarsal and a triphalangeal digit. Both hands show some ectrodactyly with two triphalangeal digits associated with two metacarpals. Her father has no thumb or digits on the right hand but has a thumb and one digit on the left hand and has normal forearms. He has four brothers and four sisters, who are all normal. His siblings have produced 18 children and five grandchildren, all of whom are normal. The child's mother has one sister and three brothers, all of whom are normal. View larger version: In this window In a new window Child in case 1 (top two photographs with father) and in case 2 (bottom two photographs)

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