Pterygium axillae as a rare manifestation of Poland syndrome

Poland syndrome is characterized by a combination of absent pectoralis muscle, abnormalities of the rib cage, the breast, as well as brachy-syndactyly. We report a case of a 3 month old girl who was born with right sided axillary pterygium combined with flattening of the right anterior chest wall. Resection of a sclerotic band with reconstruction by Z-plasty was performed. Intraoperative and histopathological findings confirmed that the axillary pterygium developed on the basis of a scarred, hypoplastic pectoralis major muscle. Our case adds to the body of evidence that Poland syndrome may present in a heterogeneous fashion, including the rare finding of axillary pterygium with associated contracture. In these cases, early intervention prevents functional impairment.