Ectrodactyly, sometimes referred to as “Lobster-Claw Syndrome”, involves the deficiency or absence of one or more central digits of the hand or foot. Ectrodactyly is frequently seen with other congenital anomalies, or other birth defects, and may be caused by genetic factors or by exposure of the embryo to environmental factors.
Ectrodactyly also known as Split-hand/split-foot malformation(SHFM) or “lobster claw hand,” is a rare limb malformation with median clefts of the hands and feet and aplasia/hypoplasia of the phalanges, metacarpals and metatarsals. There is median cleft in the hand and feet due to the absence of the central digital rays, which gives the appearance of a lobster.
Edmond Fournier, from Stigmates dystrophiques de l’heredo-syphilis, 1898
Reconstructive surgery on a patient with Ectrodactyly, sometimes referred to as Lobster-Claw Syndrome.
Ectrodactyly is the congenital absence of all or part of one or more fingers or toes.
Grady Stiles - “Lobster Boy”
The Stiles family has been afflicted for over a century with ectrodactyly, a condition commonly known as ‘Lobster Claw’ syndrome. It is a rare congenital deformity of the hand where the middle digit is missing and the hand is cleft where the metacarpal of the finger should be. This split often gives the hands the appearance of lobster claws although cases range in severity. Often this condition occurs in both the hands and the feet and, while it is an inherited condition, it can skip a generation. While the term ectrodactyly sounds medically sterile when compared to ‘Lobster Claw Syndrome’.
