Poland's syndrome associated with childhood non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Abstract

Poland's syndrome is a congenital absence of the sternal portion of the pectoralis major muscle, often associated with ipsilateral upper-limb anomalies. We describe two children with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma associated with Poland's syndrome, ie, an association between childhood cancer and congenital anomalies previously unreported and unlikely to be due to chance. In addition, we report another case of acute leukemia in a child with Poland's syndrome. In view of the rarity of Poland's syndrome in the general pediatric population, we conclude that there is an increased association of the syndrome with both leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the biologic basis of which is unclear.