Singer Marvvila, a participant in Big Brother Brasil (BBB 23) revealed, this week, that she was born with an extra finger on one of her hands, a condition technically called polydactyly. The conversation took place on Monday (6) between the participant and the biomedical Ricardo.
“I was born this way, it was plucked out. I was born like this, come on: my grandfather, my mother, my mother’s children, my mother’s sister, my mother’s sister’s seven children, my cousins, my cousins’ children are born like this. The genetics are very strong”, explained the singer.
The subject won social media and the revelation increased searches for the condition on the internet.
What is polydactyly
Polydactyly is a group of the most common and generally easily identifiable limb defects, but their definition and classification sometimes leave questions.
According to the Ministry of Health, the condition is defined by the presence of additional fingers or toes. The additional finger may be fully or partially present.
The occurrence can be in just one member or in all four members simultaneously. In addition, polydactyly can be isolated or form part of conditions related to other syndromes.
The condition is defined according to the affected axis, and can be classified into three types: preaxial, postaxial and central.
Regarding the affected axis, preaxial polydactyly occurs when the additional toe is a duplication of the big toe (or hallux), and this duplication can be complete or incomplete, that is, it can vary from just the duplicated tip even the fully duplicated finger.
Post-axial polydactyly are those in which the duplication of the fifth finger occurs, and the characteristic can vary from just an appendix without recognizable bone structures to complete duplication of the fifth finger.
Finally, central polydactyly is much rarer than the other two types and is usually masked by the presence of syndactyly, which consists of a defect in the separation between two or more fingers of the hand.
Risk factors
The risk factors for the occurrence of limb anomalies are environmental and genetic, according to the Ministry of Health.
Major environmental factors include medications such as thalidomide and misoprostol, Zika virus infection, as well as mechanical factors such as reduced amniotic fluid.
Among the numerous genetic factors, many chromosomal alterations and genetic syndromes are included. African ancestry is also listed as a risk factor for non-syndromic postaxial polydactyly, which has no clinical repercussions and is easy to manage surgically and on an outpatient basis.
care
The treatment of patients with congenital limb defects is carried out based on monitoring by a multidisciplinary team, which may include pediatricians, neonatologists, geneticists, orthopedists, pediatric surgeons, physiotherapists, psychologists and nurses.
The identification of polydactyly should be performed in the evaluation of the newborn. On examination, physicians should look for signs and symptoms that may indicate a diagnosis of a syndrome, as the condition may be a marker of other genetic problems.
Studies indicate that about half of cases of limb defects occur in association with other anomalies, reinforcing the need for a thorough search for other problems in the body. In addition, complementary radiological examinations are indicated, especially radiographs of the limbs for better classification and definition of the congenital defect.
Source: CNN Brasil
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