[The incidence of clearly palpable axillary lymphatic nodes and their relationship to age, parity and breast-feeding capacity in patients without signs or symptoms. A prospective study based on 2458 women patients].

Axillary lymphatic nodes were found in 50.9% of 2458 patients examined for cervical and breast carcinoma in a gynaecological practice in 1981. 25.5% of these had lymphatic nodes in both axillaries, whereas the percentage of women with lymphatic nodes in the right axillary only was 3.9%, and in the left axillary only 21.4%. In 2.2% of all patients, more than one lymphatic node was seen in one axillary. The number of palpable axillary lymphatic nodes decreased with advancing age. In patients who had not been pregnant, axillary lymphatic nodes were found to be significantly more numerous than in patients who had delivered. In the group of patients with children, we found 53.3% who had axillary lymphatic nodes among those who had breast-fed their children well, whereas the percentage was 37.3% only among the patients who had not breast-fed at all. This difference is statistically highly significant. Possible interrelations are discussed. The frequent unilateral diagnosis of axillary lymphatic nodes as a possible theoretical early sign of occult carcinoma of the breast is discussed.