Variation in the branching pattern of axillary artery - a case report

Routine dissection of right upper limb in a 45-year-old male cadaver revealed a variation in the branching pattern of the axillary artery. Normally the 2nd part of axillary artery gives two branches: the lateral thoracic and the thoraco-acromial, whereas the third part gives the anterior circumflex humeral, posterior circumflex humeral and subscapular arteries. But in this case the second part gave only one branch, i.e., thoraco-acromial and the third part gave the anterior circumflex humeral and a common trunk which gave the lateral thoracic, subscapular, posterior circumflex humeral, circumflex scapular and a muscular branch. Awareness about details and topographic anatomy of variation of axillary artery may serve as a guide for both radiologists and vascular surgeons. During surgeries for lymph nodes in the axilla and surgeries for pectoral region, presence of such variations must be kept in mind. © Int J Anat Var (IJAV). 2013; 6: 31–33.