Proximal Variation of the Long Thoracic Nerve would be Vulnerable to Injury during an Axillary Dissection.
- Author:
Youn SI
1
;
Sin Sun KIM
;
Je Seung LEE
;
Hae Myung JEON
;
Jai Hak LEE
;
Woo Chan PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine Seoul, Korea. wcpark@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Long thoracic nerve;
Variation;
Axilla;
Breast cancer
- MeSH:
Axilla;
Biopsy, Large-Core Needle;
Breast;
Breast Neoplasms;
Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating;
Female;
Free Tissue Flaps;
Humans;
Mastectomy;
Middle Aged;
Rectus Abdominis;
Thoracic Nerves*
- From:Journal of the Korean Surgical Society
2007;72(6):488-490
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Herein, our experience of a rare variation of the long thoracic nerve during an axillary dissection in a female patient with a breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is reported. Her long thoracic nerve was duplicated and united at its proximal and distal parts, respectively. She was a 45-year old female, with microcalcification on her left breast, which had been diagnosed as a DCIS by a stereotactic core needle biopsy. Due to the diffuse distribution of lesions, a mastectomy was performed, with immediate reconstruction using a transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) free flap. After the mastectomy, an axillary dissection was performed for anastomoses of the free flap to the thoracodorsal vessels, at which point the duplicated variation of the proximal part of the long thoracic nerve was found. This variation is very rare, and would be vulnerable to injury during an axillary dissection. Therefore, surgeons should take care to avoid injury to such a nerve during axillary surgery.
