Clinically significant variations of the cords of the brachial plexus in relation to axillary artery

Variations in the formation, course and distribution of brachial plexus are common and are well documented, but the variation of the cords of brachial plexus in relation to axillary artery is rarely documented. Here a rare variation of the cords of brachial plexus and the branches of the cords in relation to the axillary artery in the right upper limb of an adult male cadaver is reported. The lateral, medial and posterior cords were present lateral to the axillary artery and all the branches of the cords were also present lateral to the axillary artery. The musculocutaneous nerve was found not piercing the coracobrachialis muscle. The clinical significance and the embryological reasons are discussed. Clinicians and surgeons should be aware of such variations while performing surgical procedure in the axilla as the nerves are more prone for injury.