A variation of Musculocutaneous nerve without piercing the coracobrachialis muscle while communicating to the median nerve: A case report and literature review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Anatomical variations of the peripheral nervous system may have not any clinical signs and symptoms. One of these variations belongs to the Musculocutaneous nerve. However, a good knowledge of nerve pathways and their variations is very important for surgeons in post-traumatic evaluations, exploratory interventions, and/or administration of neuromuscular blocks in axillary region in order to surgical therapies. PRESENTATION OF CASE: This report describes a case of variation of the musculocutaneous nerve which was observed in an old Iranian male cadaver during routine educational dissection (Fig. 1). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Anatomically, in the axilla region, the Musculocutaneous nerve is originated of the lateral cord of brachial plexus, then, by piercing the coracobrachialis muscle arrives enters to anterior compartment of the arm. But, in the present report, we observed that the Musculocutaneous nerve without piercing the coracobrachialis muscle has arrived in the left arm, then communicated to the Median nerve. To exploratory interventions of the arms for peripheral nerve repair and surgical therapies, a good knowledge of nerve pathways helps to surgeons for preventing possible mistakes during surgery. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IJS Publishing Group Ltd.