Corpus: Lateral thoracic artery

The lateral thoracic artery, a branch of the axillary artery, follows the lower edge of the pectoralis minor muscle to the lateral chest wall, supplying arterial blood to it and the serratus anterior muscle. It provides smaller branches to the subcutaneous tissue of the axilla, axillary lymph nodes, and the subscapularis muscle. In women, collateral branches extend along the free edge of the pectoralis major to the breast gland (lateral mammary branches). It has numerous anastomoses with adjacent arteries, such as the internal thoracic artery, subscapular artery, intercostal arteries, and the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery.