Arco axilar de langer (Músculo axilopectoral): Variante supernumeraria inusual del músculo latísimo del dorso. Reporte de tres casos

Abstract

The Langer's axillary arch or axillopectoral muscle is a is a relatively rare anatomical variation of latissimus dorsi muscle insertion. Langer's arch is identified in up to 1.7 a 7% of axillary explorations, and is a musclefascial complex continuous with the iliacal fibers of the latissimus dorsi. The muscular part, together with the tendon of pectoralis major muscle, inserted into the lateral lip of the intertubercular sulcus of the humerus, whereas the fascial part was formed by a fibrous band that extended deep to the pectoralis major muscle to insert into the coracoid process between the attachments of the coracobrachialis and pectoralis minor muscles. The recognition of this anomalies is important to clinicians, surgeons and physical therapist because It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of axillary masses an unexpected finding during axillary dissection by sentinel lymoh nodes or lymphadenectomy. We report three cases of Langer's axillary arch encountered during sentinel lymph node biopsy or lymphadenectomy en 210 patients with breast cancer, at the patology mammary Unit of the University Los Andes Hospital, in 1999-2006 period.