• Huan Zheng, Chang Shi, Shiwei Zhang, Zhaopeng Tang, Yuanshui Chen, Mei Ding, Hongcheng Zhu, Jucai Xiang, Hong Sun, Xudong Song, and Weiguo Xu.
• Department of Human Anatomy, Hebei United University, Tangshan 063000, China.
• Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2014 Dec 16; 94 (46): 3646-8.

ObjectiveTo explore the reliability of preserving intercostobrachial nerve (ICBN) during axillary lymph node dissection for breast carcinoma.MethodsA total of 57 patients with breast carcinoma undergoing routine operations were analyzed. The extirpated ICBN and ambient tissues were tested by hematoxylin and eosin staining to observe the pathological changes under microscope. If there was an infiltration of carcinoma, 4 immunohistochemical markers, including human mammaglobin (hMAM), were tested in related tissue.ResultsAmong them, no microscopic infiltration of carcinoma was found in 55 cases. In 27 cases with axillary lymph node metastasis, 1 case had an infiltration of carcinoma and carcinoma cells were present in tissues around ICBN in another case. Immunohistochemistry showed that hMAM, GCDFP-15, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were all positive in infiltrated ICBN. And carcinoma cells in tissues around ICBN expressed ER, PR and hMAM positively and GCDFP-15 negatively.ConclusionUnless intercostobrachial nerves and enlarged lymph nodes adhere heavily, preserving ICBN is feasible for breast carcinoma surgery.

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