It is now well accepted that low grades of gynecomastia are best treated with liposuction alone. However, the surgical management of the high-grade gynecomastia (Simon's grade III) has remained problematic because both liposuction and conventional subcutaneous mastectomy (without skin excision) have frequently resulted in significant residual skin redundancy, requiring a second operation for skin resection. Our preferred approach to high-grade gynecomastia has been the single-stage subcutaneous mastectomy and circumareolar concentric skin reduction with deepithelialization. However, in the rare case of tubular breast deformity in the male and also in patients with gynecomastia who underwent massive weight loss, simple mastectomy and free nipple graft is performed. Therefore, these 2 groups of patients will be excluded from the current series. Twenty-four consecutive males with high-grade gynecomastia were reviewed. All patients underwent subcutaneous mastectomy with concentric skin resection. There were no major complications such as infection, hematoma, seroma, or nipple-areola complex necrosis. The main disadvantage of the technique was the mild residual skin redundancy, which was noted in all 24 patients. This redundancy, however, was never severe enough to require a secondary procedure, and all patients were satisfied with the final result.

A rare case of congenital palmar nail syndrome is described. Nomenclature of this rare form of ectopic nail is discussed and a classification of the palmar nail deformity is offered.

Six cases of nonunion of subcapital (neck) fractures of the proximal phalanx of the thumb in children were seen over a period of 5 years. Ages at the time of injury ranged between 2 and 3 years. Entrapment of the thumb in a closing door was the mechanism of injury in all cases. All fractures were closed and were significantly displaced. Immediate management was by closed reduction and splinting in four cases, closed reduction and K-wire fixation in one case and no treatment in one case, which was later treated by delayed open reduction and K-wire fixation. Only two of the six ununited fractures were eventually treated with bone grafts and both fractures united resulting in a stable thumb but with a limited range of flexion of the interphalangeal joint. Factors that may increase the risk of nonunion of these fractures in children are discussed.

Three cases of thumb polydactyly in which one of the components demonstrated symphalangism are reported. This is a very rare anomaly and only one similar case could be found in the literature. The rarity of this anomaly was explained by the occurrence of two different abnormal molecular events along two different limb growth axes. Finally, the anomaly does not fit into the classification systems described for thumb polydactyly.

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