A rare variation in the branching pattern of axillary artery

Abstract

An unusual variation of the axillary artery was reported in the right side of a 63-year-old female cadaver during routine dissection classes. It was observed that the first part of the axillary artery gave origin to the superior thoracic artery as usual and the second part gave thoracoacromial artery, which showed the normal course and branching pattern. In addition to this branch, the second part also gave a large common trunk from which lateral thoracic artery and subscapular artery arose. The subscapular artery was divided into circumflex scapular and thoracodorsal arteries. The circumflex scapular artery after passing through the upper triangular space of axilla emerged out near the lateral border of scapula on the posterior aspect. The thoracodorsal artery was seen as continuation of the subscapular artery after giving the branch circumflex scapular artery, lies posterior to the lateral thoracic artery. It gave muscular branches to teres major and serratus anterior. The third part of the axillary artery gave anterior and posterior circumflex humeral artery only. The detailed knowledge about anatomy of normal as well as variant axillary artery is very helpful to clinicians in operative and invasive procedures around pectoral and axillary regions, especially in the field of vascular surgeries. This is also useful to radiologists in different Doppler and contrast imaging study of the vessels.