Lateral thoracic artery

{{Short description|Large blood vessel}}

{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}

{{Multiple issues|{{update|Gray's Anatomy 1918? source does not comply to TA|date=September 2014}}

{{No footnotes|article|date=May 2015}}}}

{{Infobox artery

| Name = Lateral thoracic artery

| Latin = arteria thoracica lateralis

| Image = Axillary_branches.PNG

| Caption = Axillary artery, with its branches, including the lateral thoracic artery. Anterior view of right upper limb and thorax.

| BranchFrom = Axillary artery

| BranchTo =

| Vein = Lateral thoracic vein

| Supplies = Serratus anterior muscle

}}

In the human body, the lateral thoracic artery (or external mammary artery) is a blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to approximately one-third of the lateral structures of the thorax and breast.

It originates from the axillary artery and follows the lower border of the pectoralis minor muscle{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Henry |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, International Edition |publisher=Elsevier Limited |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7020-5230-9 |edition=41st |pages=817, 828}} to the side of the chest to supply the serratus anterior muscle,{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Henry |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, International Edition |publisher=Elsevier Limited |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7020-5230-9 |edition=41st |pages=819}} pectoralis major muscle{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Henry |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, International Edition |publisher=Elsevier Limited |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7020-5230-9 |edition=41st |pages=820}} and pectoralis minor muscle,{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Henry |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, International Edition |publisher=Elsevier Limited |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7020-5230-9 |edition=41st |pages=817}} and sends branches across the axilla to the axillary lymph nodes and subscapularis muscle.

It anastomoses with the internal thoracic artery, subscapular, and intercostal arteries, and with the pectoral branch of the thoracoacromial artery.

In the female it supplies an external mammary branch which turns round the free edge of the pectoralis major and supplies the breasts.{{Cite book |last=Gray |first=Henry |title=Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice, International Edition |publisher=Elsevier Limited |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-7020-5230-9 |edition=41st |page=828}}