Poland syndrome

You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.

(Redirected from Poland Syndrome)
Jump to: navigation, search
Poland syndrome
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 Q79.8
ICD-9 756.89
OMIM 173800
DiseasesDB 31679
eMedicine plastic/132 
MeSH C05.116.099.370.894.819.756

Poland syndrome (also Poland's syndrome, Poland's syndactyly and Poland's anomaly) is a rare birth defect characterized by underdevelopment or absence of the chest muscle (pectoralis) on one side of the body and webbing of the fingers (cutaneous syndactyly) of the hand on the same side (ipsilateral hand).

It was first named in 1962 by Patrick Clarkson, a New Zealand born, British Plastic surgeon working at Guy's Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital, London. He noticed that three of his patients had both a hand deformity and an underdeveloped breast on the same side. He discussed this with his colleague at Guy's hospital, Dr Philip Evans, who agreed that the syndrome was "not widely appreciated". Clarkson found a reference to a similar deformity published by Alfred Poland, over a hundred years earlier in Guy's Hospital reports, in 1841.[1] Clarkson was able to find the hand specimen dissected by Poland which was still held in the hospital pathology museum. Poland had dissected a convict called George Elt, who was said to be unable to draw his hand across his chest. Poland noted the chest wall deformity and this was illustrated in his article, the hand was also dissected and preserved for posterity in Guy's hospital museum, where it remains today. It cannot be truly said that Poland described this syndrome because he only described one isolated case. Clarkson published his series of three cases and named the syndrome after Poland in his article.[1]

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, Poland syndrome affects males three times as often as females and affects the right side of the body twice as often as the left. [1] The incidence is estimated to range from one in 7,000 to one in 100,000 live births. [1]

The cause of Poland syndrome is unknown, however, an interruption of the embryonic blood supply to the arteries that lie under the collarbone (subclavian arteries) at about the 46th day of embryonic development is the prevailing theory. [1]

British TV presenter Jeremy Beadle is one of the few celebrities with this disorder. [1]

Clinical features

Image:Poland-syndrome.jpg
Example female breasts with Poland syndrome
Very Frequent Signs

Frequent Signs

Occasional Signs

References


External links


Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .

Personal tools
related articles

often viewed next [ + ]
In other languages