Lateral cutaneous branch of thoracic intercostal nerve

The **lateral cutaneous branch of the thoracic intercostal nerve** is a peripheral nerve branch that arises from the intercostal nerves (anterior rami of the thoracic spinal nerves T1-T11)[1][2][4][6]. Each intercostal nerve gives off a lateral cutaneous branch as it passes along the intercostal space, typically near the midaxillary line. These branches pierce the muscles of the thoracic wall to provide sensory innervation to the skin of the lateral thorax and abdomen, and may also carry some motor fibers to muscle. The intercostal nerves themselves are not molecular therapeutic targets such as receptors, ion channels, or enzymes but are anatomical neural structures relevant for regional anesthesia (nerve block) and clinical pathology such as neuralgia[1][2][4]. Key points: - The lateral cutaneous branch is an **anatomic branch** of the intercostal nerve, not a molecular target or classical drug target. - Its main clinical significance is as a nerve structure supplying sensation to the skin; it is not a receptor, enzyme, or molecular entity. - The entry is categorized as **is_incorrect: true** for the purpose of pharmacological or molecular drug targeting.

Other names

Lateral cutaneous branch of intercostal nerveLateral cutaneous branch