Editor,—Diethylstilboestrol (DES) is a synthetic, non-steroidal pseudo-oestrogen. It was prescribed for many pregnant women between 1948 and 1971 with the intention of preventing spontaneous abortions and premature delivery.1

Embryonic neural tissue is particularly sensitive to gonadal hormones which play a vital part in axonal growth.2 “Estrogen and androgen appear to induce inherent neural programs in which androgen increases neurite arborization and the receptive field of individual cells, increasing the likelihood for intercellular communication, while estrogen actually induces this communication, in the form of spines, …