Tan C B, Tan C K
Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore.
Singapore Med J. 1994 Jun;35(3):263-4.
The axillary artery was studied by dissection of 50 human cadavers over a two-year period. Except in one instance, the course and relations of the axillary artery of all the other cadavers conformed to the normal description found in standard textbooks of Anatomy. In the exceptional cadaver, the axillary artery of the right side showed two unique features: (1) it pursued a tortuous course and made two sharp bends, and (2) it was situated superficial, rather than deep to, the pectoralis minor muscle. Its branches and relationship to the brachial plexus were also altered. On the left side, the artery was not tortuous but was also situated in front of the pectoralis minor. The present observation has several implications: (1) such a configuration of the artery would render it more prone to kinking and hence compression; (2) surgically, it might make axillary block of the brachial plexus and block dissection of the axillary lymph nodes during radical mastectomy more difficult; (3) it is at risk during infraclavicular percutaneous cannulation of the subclavian vein for a central line insertion or for insertion of a subclavian cannula for haemodialysis.
在两年时间里，通过对50具人类尸体的解剖研究了腋动脉。除了1例情况外，所有其他尸体的腋动脉走行及毗邻关系均与标准解剖学教科书中的正常描述相符。在这例特殊尸体中，右侧腋动脉呈现出两个独特特征：（1）走行迂曲，有两个急转弯；（2）位于胸小肌浅面而非深面。其分支以及与臂丛的关系也发生了改变。左侧的动脉不迂曲，但也位于胸小肌前方。目前的观察结果有几个方面的意义：（1）这种动脉形态会使其更容易发生扭结，进而导致受压；（2）在手术方面，可能会使臂丛神经的腋路阻滞以及根治性乳房切除术中腋窝淋巴结的整块清扫更加困难；（3）在锁骨下静脉经皮穿刺置管行中心静脉置管或置入锁骨下套管进行血液透析时，该动脉会面临风险。
