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Living with Poland anomaly

A condition present from birth in which chest muscles on one side of the body are missing or underdeveloped, often with hand differences.

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Understanding Poland anomaly

Poland anomaly, also called Poland syndrome, is a condition in which people are born with missing or underdeveloped muscles on one side of the body.

It most often affects the chest, shoulder, arm and hand, and the severity varies. People are typically missing part of the large chest muscle (pectoralis major), which can make the chest look concave. Some have rib, breast or nipple differences. Many have hand differences on the same side, such as short or fused fingers. Most chest changes do not cause health problems or affect movement.

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:

  • Missing part of the chest muscle (pectoralis major)
  • Uneven chest
  • Small or missing breast or nipple
  • Small hand with short fingers
  • Fused finger bones or webbed fingers
  • Less fat under the skin on the chest

Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Diagnosis

  1. Talk with your doctor

    Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.

  2. See a specialist

    Specialists who may be involved include bone and joint specialists, genetic specialists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists and women’s reproductive health specialists.

  3. Ask which tests can help

    Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.

Care & treatment

Care team
Bone and joint specialists (orthopedists or orthopedic surgeons); Genetic specialists (geneticists); Maternal-fetal medicine specialists (pregnancy-related); Women’s reproductive health specialists (obstetricians / gynecologists)
Expert care
Ask about multidisciplinary care centers for rare conditions
Treatment
GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
Research
Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.

General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.

Everyday life

Living with a rare condition is easier with support.

  • Connect with rare disease patient organizations for support
  • Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
  • Ask about patient registries that help research
  • Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
How is my pattern of muscle differences likely to affect movement?
Which specialists, such as a hand surgeon, should I see?
Are kidney or other checks recommended?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startduring Pregnancy, at Birth, and as an Infant
InheritanceAutosomal Dominant, Autosomal Recessive

GARD says changes in genes cause this condition but doesn't name a gene. It lists autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance.

GeneticUrinary and Reproductive

Also known as: poland anomalad; poland sequence; poland syndactyly; poland syndrome; poland's syndactyly

Patient organizations

Rare-disease groups that can help

Source: NIH GARD · Poland anomalyGARD ID 7412 · GARD page updated September 2026 · Plain-language summary by Know Rare; editorial review pending. General information, not medical advice.

You are more than your diagnosis

Perspectives from people navigating life with Poland anomaly.

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Explore research for Poland anomaly

Explore actively recruiting Poland anomaly studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Poland anomaly with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.

  • Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
  • Share your city to look for research near you
  • Eligibility is confirmed by the study team

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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.

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