Variation in the Branching Pattern of Superior Thoracic Artery- A Rare Case

Abstract

Superior thoracic artery is usually a branch from the first part of axillary artery. It descends down up to the 2nd intercostal space and anastomose with internal thoracic and intercostal arteries. However, during routine dissection for medical students it was observed that the superior thoracic artery on the right side showed unusual branching pattern, dividing into medial and lateral branches. The lateral branch coursed around the medial wall of axilla horizontally superficial to the long thoracic nerve of bell which divided into medial and lateral branch. This variation is of radiological, surgical and morphogenic importance as no such branching pattern have been described in the literature previously.

Keywords

• axillary artery
• 1st part
• morphogenesis
• variation