title: Anatomical variants during axillary dissection.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Damage to important structures in the axilla during axillary dissection can be minimized with an awareness of the possible anatomical variations.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery Glenfield General Hospital, Leicester, UK.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kutiyanawala
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stotter
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Windle
mesh_terms: D001365:Axilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply / Q000294:innervation / Q000473:pathology; D001367:Axillary Vein / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal