Axillary arch: a rare variation

The axillary arch is a muscle slip varying from 7 to 10 cm in length and 5 to 15 mm in breadth. It occasionally arises from the edge of the latissimus dorsi, at about the middle of the posterior fold of the axilla and crosses the axilla in front of the axillary vessels and nerves to join the under-surface of the tendon of the pectoralis major, the coracobrachialis, or the fascia over the biceps. During the dissection of a human cadaver, an unusual muscle band was encountered and identified as an axillary arch on the right side of a 60-year old male cadaver. The anomalous muscle band was an extension from the lateral border of the latissimus dorsi muscle. The muscle measured 6 cm in length, 2 cm wide and 2 mm thick. Since this muscle may be the cause of different pathologies, we were prompted to discuss the clinical relevance of our findings.