Oligodactyly (from Ancient Greek ''oligos'' 'few' and δάκτυλος ''daktylos'' 'finger') is the presence of fewer than five fingers or toes on a hand or foot.
[Medical terms Dictionary](_blank)
Accessed February 16, 2010
It is quite often incorrectly called ''hypodactyly''; the
Greek prefixes
hypo- and
hyper- are used for
continuous scales (e.g. in
hypoglycaemia and
hyperthermia), as opposed to
discrete or
countable scales, where
oligo- and
poly-
Poly, from the Greek :wikt:πολύς, πολύς meaning "many" or "much", may refer to:
Businesses
* China Poly Group Corporation, a Chinese business group, and its subsidiaries:
** Poly Property, a Hong Kong incorporated Chinese property devel ...
should be used (e.g. in
oligarchy and
polygamy). Oligodactyly is therefore the opposite of
polydactyly.
Very rare, this medical condition usually has a
genetic or
familial
Familial may refer to:
* ''Familial'' (album), a 2010 studio album by Phil Selway
*Family, a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence
*Family (biology), one of the eight major taxonomic ranks, classified between orde ...
cause.
Oligodactyly is sometimes a sign or symptom of several syndromes including
Poland syndrome and Weyer Ulnar Ray Syndrome. It is a type of
dysmelia.
Ectrodactyly is an extreme instance of oligodactyly, involving the absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot and is also known as split hand/split foot malformation (SHFM). The hands and feet of people with ectrodactyly are often described as "claw-like" and may include only the thumb and one finger (usually either the little finger, ring finger, or a syndactyly of the two) with similar abnormalities of the feet.
People with oligodactyly often have full use of the remaining digits and adapt well to their condition. They are not greatly hindered in their daily activities, if at all.
Even those with the most extreme forms are known to engage in tasks that require fine control, such as writing
and bootmaking
as well as working as a
cab driver.
The
Wadoma people of
Zimbabwe have a high frequency of oligodactyly.
Ripley's believe it or not
(with photo).
References
External links
NIH website page on Oligodactyly
{{Congenital malformations and deformations of musculoskeletal system
Congenital disorders of musculoskeletal system
Rare diseases