Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Neoplasia, Infection, Diagnostic procedure, CT-High Resolution, CT-Angiography, CT, Thorax, Anatomy
Authors:
R. Sharma1, J. Kusmirek1, M. D. Martin2, C. Meyer1, J. P. Kanne2; 1Madison/US, 2Madison, WI/US
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-2259
Background
The axilla is a pyramidal compartment bounded by the chest wall and muscles that make the anterior,
posterior,
medial,
and lateral walls (Fig. 1).
The axillary space contains the lymphatics,
adipose tissue,
accessory breast tissue,
and the axillary sheath that consists of the axillary artery and vein and the brachial plexus.
Axillary masses and lymphadenopathy are common indications for cross-setional imaging.
Axillary abnormalities can also be incidental findings on chest CT performed for other reason.
Lesions in the axilla can result from infection,
inflammation,
systemic diseases,
neoplasm,
or trauma.
Routine use of full field-of-view chest CT allows for detection and accurate characterization of axillary abnormalities. The radiologist must be familiar with axillary anatomy and associated pathologies to establish an accurate differential diagnosis.
In this presentation,
we review examples of common axillary pathologies that the radiologist may encounter.