Dixon J M, Dobie V, Chetty U
University Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, U.K.
Eur J Cancer. 1993;29A(3):334-6. doi: 10.1016/0959-8049(93)90379-t.
In a consecutive series of 73 patients undergoing a level III axillary clearance, interpectoral nodes were sought and, if palpable, excised. 18 interpectoral nodes were identified in 15 patients, 10 (14%) of whom had involved and 5 of whom had uninvolved interpectoral nodes. 7 of the 10 patients with involved interpectoral nodes also had axillary node involvement, but 3 patients had positive interpectoral nodes in the absence of involved axillary nodes. A comparison of patient and tumour characteristics in the groups of patients with and without interpectoral node involvement showed that patients who had involved interpectoral nodes were significantly younger and had significantly larger tumours. Interpectoral node involvement by breast cancer is not uncommon and these nodes can be involved in the absence of axillary nodal involvement. They should be looked for, and if identified, excised during axillary clearance.
在连续73例行Ⅲ级腋窝清扫术的患者中，寻找胸肌间淋巴结，若可触及则予以切除。15例患者中发现了18枚胸肌间淋巴结，其中10枚（14%）为受累淋巴结，5枚为未受累淋巴结。10例胸肌间淋巴结受累的患者中，7例同时伴有腋窝淋巴结受累，但有3例患者胸肌间淋巴结阳性而腋窝淋巴结未受累。对胸肌间淋巴结受累和未受累患者组的患者及肿瘤特征进行比较，结果显示胸肌间淋巴结受累的患者明显更年轻，肿瘤也明显更大。乳腺癌累及胸肌间淋巴结并不少见，且这些淋巴结可在无腋窝淋巴结受累的情况下受累。在行腋窝清扫时应寻找这些淋巴结，若发现则予以切除。
