title: Muscle abnormalities of the chest in Poland's syndrome: variations and proposal for a classification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Poland's syndrome (PS) is a rare congenital malformation, which combines anomalies of the chest and the homolateral upper limb. The purposes of the paper are to study the chest musculoskeletal malformations of the syndrome and propose a classification for the thoracic anomalies through our experience and taking into account the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed ten patients diagnosed with PS. All of them suffered from anomalies of the thorax and the ipsilateral upper extremity. We proceeded to scan the thorax with 3-D CT for better imaging of the structures and examination of the variations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were young to middle aged: seven women and three men. Both sides of the body were affected to the same extent. Six patients presented with total absence of the pectoralis muscles and variable anomalies of the thoracic skeletal structures. Hypoplasia of the minor pectoralis and retraction of the ribs were observed in two patients, while the two other patients presented with major and minor pectoralis absence as well, except for the clavicular head.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are many variations of PS with regard to the chest that can be best detected with 3-D CT imaging, which should be used whenever it is available. We propose a simple classification of the musculoskeletal anomalies of the chest in Poland's syndrome that would be a useful tool for the clinicians and especially plastic surgeons to make an easy diagnosis. In combination with 3-D CT imaging, surgeons will be able to achieve the best treatment for each patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Medical School of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100, Alexandroupolis, Greece. stkapetanakis@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Kapetanakis
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stylianos
authors.forename: Papadopoulos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Constantinos
authors.forename: Triantafilidis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Alexandros
authors.forename: Fiska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aliki
authors.forename: Agrogiannis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolaos
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demetriou
authors.forename: Panagiotou
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009139:Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011045:Poland Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013909:Thorax / Q000002:abnormalities; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult