New cases of thalidomide embryopathy in Brazil

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 Although withdrawn from the market in 1961, thalidomide was remarketed after 1965 in several countries, for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum.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.