melo-, mel-, -melia +

An individual exhibiting hemimelia.

1. A condition in which there is an unusual enlargement of one or more body limbs.
2. An abnormal size of one or more of the bodily limbs.

An abnormal largeness of one or more limbs.

Rheumatic, myalgic, or muscle pains in the arms or legs.

Pain in a limb or limbs; specifically, burning pain in the feet extending up the leg and even to the thigh.

Pain in the lower limbs.

1. Partial absence of a free limb; such as, hemimelia, phocomelia.
2. Congenital absence of part of an arm or leg.

An abnormal smallness of one or more limbs.

1. A condition of having disproportionately short or small limbs; micromelia.
2. Achondroplasia: a birth deformity characterised by imperfect bone formation. It results in dwarfs with normal-sized heads but short arms and legs.

1. A severe congenital malformations of extremities, including the absence of a hand or a foot.
2. A severe congenital malformation of any or all extremities; usually, to a severe degree.

1. The defective development of arms or legs, or both, so that the hands and feet are attached close to the body, resembling the flippers of a seal.
2. An anomaly in which the hands or feet (or both) are attached directly to the shoulders or hips.
3. A congenital malformation (birth defect) in which the hands and feet are attached to abbreviated arms and legs.
4. Absence or markedly imperfect development of arms and forearms, thighs and legs, but with hands and feet present. Here is an example of phocomelia from the 16th century.

The word phocomelia combines Greek phoco-, "seal (flipper)" and Greek melia, "limb, extremity" to designate a human limb like a seal's flipper, one consequence of exposure in modern times of the developing fetus to thalidomide.

Recent chromosomal studies have suggested that, in addition to the drug-induced anomalies, other cases of phocomelia may have a genetic basis

Phocomelia was probably recognized in the early years of Babylonian rule, because the teratologic records of Chaldea mention an infant with hands and feet like fish tails or fins.

The 1675 French edition of the surgical text of Scultetus contains an illustration of a case of phocomelia with harelip, an association that has since been observed by others.

Wide reknown was achieved by malformed Marc Cazotte, who presented himself to public exhibition during the latter part of the eighteenth century, with the name Pépin. He had no arms and legs; his hands were attached to his prominent shoulders, his feet to his hips.

He was described as a clever man, with a mastery of four languages and with great manual dexterity, Pépin traveled around Europe on horseback, where he attracted large crowds. He died at the age of 62 in Paris, where his skeleton is preserved in the Musée Dupuytren.

A reference to anyone who has phocomelia; such as, the absence or significant imperfect development of arms and forearms, thighs and legs, but having hands and feet.

Dwarfism in which the diaphyses or shaft of the long bones are abnormally short or the intermediate parts of the limbs are absent.

1. A person with phocomelia.
2. A fetus or postnatal individual with phocomelia. Thomas Quasthoff, afflicted with phocomelia,
is shown here with his mother.

A congenital malformation in which the proximal portions of the extremities are poorly developed or absent.

The result is that the hands and feet are attached directly to the body (trunk) or by means of a poorly formed bone.

In some cases, this condition was the result of a pregnant woman taking thalidomide, a sleeping pill, during early pregnancy.

Etymology: resembling the flippers of a seal from Greek phoke, "a seal" plus melos, "limb, extremity" (hands and feet).

Thomas Quasthoff of Germany is a well-known
phocomelic singer and voice teacher.

A talented bass-baritone singer and voice teacher

Thomas Quasthoff was born in Hildesheim, Germany, on November 9, 1959. He is a German bass-baritone generally regarded as one of the finest singers of his generation.

Quasthoff has proven to have a remarkable range from the Baroque cantatas of Bach to solo jazz improvisations.

He was born with serious birth defects caused by his mother's exposure during pregnancy to the drug thalidomide which was prescribed as an antiemetic to combat her morning sickness.

Thomas Quasthoff is unusually short, about four feet tall, as a result of the shortening of the long bones in his legs, and he has phocomelia of the upper extremities with very short or absent long bones and flipper-like appearances of his hands. In medical terms, Quasthoff has thalidomide syndrome.

Quasthoff is a full-time voice professor and performer. Prior to his music profession, he worked for six years as a radio announcer for NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) or the North German Broadcasting company, a public radio and television broadcaster, located in Hamburg, Germany.