Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica. Clinical, histological and histochemical features.

Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica is a condition characterised by asymmetrical and uneven growth of the epiphyses of the long bones of the limbs and of the bones of the tarsus and carpus. The growth disturbance is caused by the development of accessory nuclei that exhibit histological and histochemical features similar to those found in ossifying epiphyseal cartilage and in the ossific centres of developing carpal and tarsal bones. The common histogenesis, as confirmed by the authors, could explain the elective localisations of the disorder.