Poland's syndrome

Abstract

Ever since Poland described a group of anomalies with absence of the pectoralis major and minor muscles and syndactyly of the ipsilateral hand, many variations of this condition have been reported in the literature. Thomson, in 1895, added other features, including the absence of ribs, chest wall depression, amastia with or without athelia, the absence of axillary hair, and limited subcutaneous fat. Other authors have described the syndrome by many names, including subclavian artery supply disruption sequence, hand and ipsilateral thorax syndrome, fissura thoracis lateralis, acro-pectoral-renal field defect, pectoral-aplasia-dysdactylia syndrome, and unilateral chest-hand deformity. Goals of surgical repair of these anomalies are twofold: to correct any functional deficits and to create a cosmetically acceptable result. A variety of surgical procedures are available to treat the various deformities. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.