What Is Poland Syndrome?
7. Causes
No one knows for sure what causes Poland syndrome, but theories exist. Many experts believe it is due to a lack of blood flow to the fetus around the sixth week of pregnancy. This causes a disruption to the fetal arteries that would normally support the development of the chest area, and thus abnormalities can result. The severity of the symptoms is thought to depend on the degree to which blood flow was blocked.
Poland syndrome also may be caused by defects in the apical ectodermal ridges, which are located at the end of the arms and legs and eventually become the hands and feet. A case also was reported in 1990 of a patient with Poland syndrome who also exhibited severe abnormalities in the pituitary gland, the organ that synthesizes human growth hormone and otherwise directs development. Thus, the pituitary gland may be involved, although more research is needed in this area.
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