Abstract
The axillopectoral muscle is a rarely discussed variant of muscular anatomy of the axilla, with various clinical implications. We report a case of a 7-year-old girl with multiple genetic and developmental abnormalities who presented with asymmetrical right axillary bulging of unknown etiology. MRI demonstrated a small accessory axillary muscle, known as Langer’s axillary arch and/or the axillopectoral muscle. Other than soft-tissue asymmetry, the patient experienced no additional related symptoms. However, this is an important variant to be aware of, as it can easily be discovered on imaging and may be a causative agent for various upper extremity symptoms that may resolve with appropriate recognition and surgical intervention.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Magee C, Jones C, McIntosh S et al (2012) Upper limb deep vein thrombosis due to Langer’s axillary arch. J Vasc Surg 55:234–236
Jelev L, Georgiev GP, Surchev L (2007) Axillary arch in human: common morphology and variety. Definition of "clinical" axillary arch and its classification. Ann Anat 189:473–481
Suzuma T, Sakurai T, Yoshimura G et al (2003) Magnetic resonance axillography for preoperative diagnosis of the axillopectoral muscle. Breast Cancer 10:281–283
Besana-Ciani I, Grenall MJ (2005) Langer’s axillary arch: Anatomy, embryological features and surgical implications. Surgeon 3:325–327
Hong HJ, Choi NJ, Han DH, Ahn MI (2015) Axillary arch: detailed ultrasonographic images with multiplanar CT correlation. J Med Ultrason 42:121–125
Saitta GF, Baum V (1962) Langer's axillary arch: an unusual cause of axillary mass. JAMA 180:690
Hafner F, Seinost G, Gary T et al (2010) Axillary vein compression by Langer’s axillary arch, an aberrant muscle bundle of the latissimus dorsi. Cardiovasc Pathol 19:e89–e90
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflicts of interest
None
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Koberlein, G.C., Hoffman, C. Langer's axillary arch: a frequent but rarely discussed anatomical variant in the radiologic literature. Pediatr Radiol 48, 433–436 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-017-3998-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-017-3998-3