[Clinical anatomo-pathologic and surgical considerations in type III central polysyndactylia of the hand (systemization and classification of lesions)]

Central polysyndactyly type III of the hands is a very rare and complicated malformation, since it shows a great number of anatomic and functional lesions. Seven persons belonging to an ethnic original group living in Trapani, in Western Sicily, have been the topic of a very deep and careful study; four of them have been operated on both sides. Our clinical research has allowed us to build up a Pedigree of the elements suffering from the malformation (showing autosomic dominant character) dating back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. The pedigree includes one hundred and fifteen persons of whom seventy healthy and forty five afflicted with central polysyndactyly type III. Numerous operative techniques have been used to face the anatomic, functional and aesthetic difficulties we have found.