Polydactyly_Sreya

**// Exclusive Polydactyly Interview //** **//By: Sreya Muchivolu//**

**__ Sreya __** : Hi Allison! **__ Allison __** : Hello!

**__ Sreya __** : I heard that your family has inherited the disorder, polydactyly.

**__ Allison __** : Yes, that’s right. Polydactyly is a disorder in which a person has extra fingers or toes. **__ Sreya __** : Do you have polydactyly?

**__ Allison __** : Yes, I do. I have a total of 14 fingers and 12 toes. The symptoms are extra fingers and/or toes, and I had it since I was born.

**__ Sreya __** : Does having polydactyly affect your everyday life?

**__ Allison __** : No, because it doesn’t have any side effects. I have a very normal life.

**__ Sreya __** : Do your extra fingers and toes work? I heard that some people had to have their extra digits removed as part of their treatment since they were poorly developed and didn’t work. **__ Allison __** : Well, my toes don’t work, so I had them removed by a surgeon. But, my extra fingers work!

**__ Sreya __** : When did you get your treatment for polydactyly?

**__ Allison __** : Most people get treated at age 1. Surgery is the most common type of treatment. During this treatment, the surgeon removes your extra fingers and/or toes and reconstructs anything else not normal. **__ Sreya __** : That’s so cool! Is your disorder inherited? I know sometimes there doesn’t have to be any family history to get this disorder.

**__ Allison __** : My disorder is inherited. My dad and mom both had it.

**__ Sreya __** : Is polydactyly dominant or recessive?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : Polydactyly is an autosomal dominant disorder. It can be recessive too, but you have less chances of getting polydactyly that way. Most people with the dominant gene have polydactyly.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Sreya __** : Can you tell me more about how it is inherited?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : Males and females have an equal chance of getting this disorder.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Sreya __** : Is it possible for someone to get polydactyly from another disorder?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : Of course it is possible. In fact, my parents got their polydactyly from carpenter syndrome.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Sreya __** : What is carpenter syndrome? Is one of the side effects polydactyly?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : Carpenter syndrome is when you have bone problems. One of the side effects is polydactyly.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Sreya __** : Do you know the greatest number of extra fingers and/or toes a person can have?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : I don’t think there is a limit for the extra digits. But, I do know that African Americans have the greatest chance of polydactyly.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Sreya __** : Thanks for your time, Allison! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**__ Allison __** : You are welcome. Bye!

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