• Men Poland Syndrome

POLAND SYNDROME

Poland syndrome (also Poland’s syndrome, Poland’s syndactyly, Poland sequence, 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 usually also webbing of the fingers (cutaneous syndactyly).

In most affected individuals, the missing part is the large section of the muscle that normally attaches to the upper arm on one side and the breastbone (sternum) on the other. Other abnormalities may occur on the affected side of the torso. In some cases, additional muscles in the chest wall, side, and shoulder are missing or underdeveloped.

Poland syndrome most often affects the right side of the body, and occurs more often in males than in females.

The complete or partial absence of the pectoralis muscle, is the malformation that defines Poland Syndrome. It can be treated by the insertion of a custom implant designed by CAD (computer aided design). A 3D reconstruction of the patient’s chest is performed from a medical scanner, to design a virtual implant perfectly adapted to the anatomy of each one.

The Poland syndrome malformations being morphological, correction by custom implant is a first-line treatment. This technique allows a wide variety of patients to be treated with good outcomes. Poland Syndrome can be associated with bones, subcutaneous and mammary atrophy: if the first, as for pectus excavatum, is successfully corrected by a custom implant, the others can require surgical intervention such as lipofilling or silicone breast implant, in a second operation.