Case 7
History:
33 year old male with non-specific left-sided chest pain
Findings:
Notice the absence of pectoralis muscle on the right. The patient had no history of chest wall surgery.
Diagnosis:
Discussion:
Poland syndrome is a rare birth defect characterized by underdevelopment or absence of chest wall muscles (pectoralis major and/or minor) as well as webbing of the fingers. The precise cause for Poland syndrome is largely unknown. Geneticists currently hold that Poland syndrome is rarely inherited and generally is a sporadic event.
There is variation in expression of the physical changes among patients. Common features include:
- underdevelopment or absence of the pectoralis
- the end of the pectoralis muscle attachment to the breastbone (sternum) is absent
- the nipple, areola, and (in females) underlying breast tissue is underdeveloped or absent
- short and webbed fingers (cutaneous syndactyly) on the effected side
- armpit hair on the effected side is missing
