Poland Syndrome

Poland syndrome is a condition that causes a lack of muscle development in one side of the body, and in women underdevelopment of the breast on the that side. Common symptoms include lack of chest wall muscles, as well as webbed fingers on the same side of the body. All signs of this condition occur on one side of the body only.

Common signs of Poland Syndrome may include

• A lack of chest muscle in the pectoral area
• A concave appearance to the chest
• A missing or underdeveloped nipple on the affected side
• Shorter fingers on one hand, or fingers that are webbed
• Underdeveloped breasts in women
• Reconstructive plastic surgery is often the most effective treatment option for Poland syndrome. During this procedure, it typically involves placing a tissue expander to expand the breast pocket. This is followed by a second surgery to replace the tissue expander with a breast implant. Another option for reconstruction is to use the patient’s own natural tissue such as a latissimus flap, or free flap such as deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flap (DIEP flap) to rebuild the chest wall contour.

Reconstructive plastic surgery is often the most effective treatment option for Poland syndrome. During this procedure, it may involve using any existing chest wall muscles, as well as other muscles throughout the body to fill in missing portions of the chest. Grafting ribs to move them to the right location may also be done. Correction of various bones throughout the affected side of the body may be recommended. Overall, the exact steps of this procedure may vary depending on the severity of Poland syndrome, and how much reconstruction is desired.