This article is about the medical term. For the Marxist political concept, see Parliamentary cretinism | ICD9 = | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = ped | eMedicineTopic = 501 | MeshName = Cretinism | MeshNumber = C05.116.099.343.347 | }}Cretinism is a condition of severely stunted physical and mental growth due to untreated congenital deficiency of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). The term cretin refers to a person so affected and is no longer considered to be politically correct nomenclature. Etymology and usage of the term The term cretin was brought into medical use in the 18th century from an Alpine French dialect prevalent in a region where persons with such a condition were especially common (see below). It was used widely as a medical term in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but in recent decades h

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # TAGS