BACKGROUND: This study was done to document the variations encountered in the anatomy of the axilla because of the difficulty they can cause during dissection. METHODS: A record was made of the anatomy of the axilla in 100 patients with breast cancer who had an axillary dissection. RESULTS: The variants from the described normal included double axillary veins, abnormal bands of muscle from the latissimus dorsi stretching across the axilla and a medial lying thoracodorsal nerve. CONCLUSION: Damage to important structures in the axilla during axillary dissection can be minimized with an awareness of the possible anatomical variations.
BACKGROUND: This study was done to document the variations encountered in the anatomy of the axilla because of the difficulty they can cause during dissection. METHODS: A record was made of the anatomy of the axilla in 100 patients with breast cancer who had an axillary dissection. RESULTS: The variants from the described normal included double axillary veins, abnormal bands of muscle from the latissimus dorsi stretching across the axilla and a medial lying thoracodorsal nerve. CONCLUSION: Damage to important structures in the axilla during axillary dissection can be minimized with an awareness of the possible anatomical variations.
Authors: Valtuir Barbosa Felix; José André Bernardino Dos Santos; Katharina Jucá de Moraes Fernandes; Dhayanna Rolemberg Gama Cabral; Carlos Adriano Silva Dos Santos; Célio Fernando de Sousa Rodrigues; Jacqueline Silva Brito Lima; Antônio José Casado Ramalho Journal: J Vasc Bras Date: 2016 Oct-Dec