conclusions the axillary arch variation is very clinically important, because it may entrap and implicate the neurovascular bundle. also it is important for surgeons during operation, so they need to be aware of possible presence of such variations. case presentation during routine dissection, we encountered an aberrant slip of muscle and fascia expanded from latissimus dorsi to pectoralis majo...

PURPOSE The axillary arch is an anomalous muscle that is not infrequently encountered during axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) of breast cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate how often the axillary arch is found during SLNB and whether it affects the intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification rate. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the correlation bet...

Introduction Axillary arch is an additional muscle bundle of various dimensions extending from latissimus dorsi in the posterior fold of the axilla, to the pectoralis major in the anterior fold, to the short head of the biceps brachii or to the coracoid process [1, 2]. Ramsay, in 1795, described the axillary arch for the first time. He gave the description of a muscle bundle connecting pectoral...

Introduction A number of accessory muscle slip cases in the axilla arising from latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, ribs and costal cartilages have been reported by different authors [1]. These accessory muscle slips in the axilla have been described under variety of names (e.g., chondro-epitrochlearis, dorsoepitrochlearis, etc). These variant bundles are commonly referred to as “axillary arch”...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify the axillopectoral muscle anomaly commonly known as Langer's axillary arch, and to understand its importance in surgical procedures of the axilla. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2009 and 2011, 758 patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy, axillary dissection, or both. Patients with Langer's axillary arch were identified and assessed retrospe...

Many origins and insertions of an axillary muscular slip (also known as Langer's or axillary arch muscles) have been documented previously. In this report, we found duplicated axillary arch muscles (two variant muscular slips) originating from the inferolateral border of the right side latissimus dorsi muscle. Obviously, these axillary arch muscles can be distinguished as short and long muscula...

During routine bilateral dissection of 64 upper limbs in 32 adult human cadavers, four cases of an axillary arch, a muscular anomaly, were found. In one case, the axillary arch presented on both sides and in two cases it presented unilaterally on the right side. The innervation and relationships of the axillary arches are reported and the surgical significance of the anomaly is discussed.