Aphalangia Possibly Linked to Unintended Use of Finasteride During Early Pregnancy

This article reports a case of a woman who unintentionally used finasteride during early pregnancy and gave birth to a baby girl with unilateral hand and toe deformities. Finasteride is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and is not FDA-approved for use in women due to its teratogenic effects on male fetuses. Animal studies have shown external genital abnormalities in male fetuses exposed to the drug in utero. This case report suggests a possible association between finasteride use during pregnancy and limb deformities in the fetus.