THALIDOMIDE EMBRYOPATHY - REVISITED 27 YEARS LATER

A prospective ophthalmological study was done in 86 out of a total of 100 Swedes with established thalidomide embryopathy. Forty-six (54%) o f all examined individuals had eye findings, which made the eve the se cond most commonly affected organ in thalidomide embryopathy only surp assed by upper limbs Forty-three patients (50%) had ocular motility de fects, mostly incomitant strabismus. Facial palsy and abnormal lacrima tion each occurred in 17 (20%) individuals. One patient had coloboma o f the uvea and optic disc and another two had coloboma of the optic di sc. Infrequent anomalies were microphthalmos, congenital glaucoma, lip odermoid, and large refractive errors. The observed ocular motility de fects, facial palsy and abnormal lacrimation occurred with early induc ed defects in thalidomide embryopathy, but not with isolated late occu rring anomalies. This suggests that thalidomide exerts its effects on the development of these structures early in the teratogenic period, p robably mainly during the fourth week of development.