title: Muscular variations during axillary dissection: a clinical study in fifty patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study was conducted to detect the musculature variations during axillary dissection for breast cancer surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The anatomy of axilla regarding muscular variations was studied in 50 patients who had an axillary dissection for the staging and treatment of invasive primary breast cancer over one year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a period of one year, two patients (4%) with axillary arch and one patient (2%) with absent pectoralis major and minor muscles among fifty patients undergoing axillary surgery for breast cancer were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Axillary arch when present should always be identified and formally divided to allow adequate exposure of axillary contents, in order to achieve a complete lymphatic dissection. Complete absence of pectoralis major and minor muscles precludes the insertion of breast implants and worsens the prognosis of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
authors.lastname: Upasna
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Ashwani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Bimaljot
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
authors.forename: Subhash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaushal
keywords: Axillae; Breast surgery; Dissection; Langer's Arch; Pectoralis major muscle; Pectoralis minor muscle; muscle variations
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