Distribution Chart of the Male Dermatomes

Description

Anterior and posterior surface maps of an adult male body are rendered with color-coded dermatomes, outlining the segmental cutaneous territories supplied by spinal nerve roots from the cervical region through the sacral and coccygeal levels. Cervical dermatomes occupy the neck, shoulder girdle, and upper limb, with C6 tracking into the radial forearm and thumb and C8 reaching the ulnar hand and little finger, while thoracic dermatomes form near-horizontal bands across the trunk with T4 at the nipple line and T10 crossing the umbilicus. Lumbar territories sweep over the anteromedial thigh and leg (L4 reaching the medial malleolus), and sacral dermatomes wrap posterolaterally over the buttock, posterior thigh, and perineum, concentrating around the perianal region at S4 to S5. Key landmarks. Clear borders. Dermatomal distribution matters whenever you need to localize a lesion to a specific nerve root rather than a peripheral nerve, and this chart is the reference pattern clinicians carry into the exam room. Radicular pain and sensory loss from cervical or lumbar disc herniation often follow these territories, and herpes zoster classically erupts in a unilateral, single-dermatome band that helps distinguish it from contact dermatitis or more diffuse exanthems. The map also supports neurologic level assessment in spinal cord injury and helps interpret why cord syndromes can spare certain regions while capturing others. Use this artwork in neuroanatomy and clinical skills courses to teach sensory testing, in EMR patient education handouts describing sciatica or shingles distribution, and in neurology, orthopedics, anesthesiology, and pain medicine publications discussing radiculopathy, selective nerve root blocks, or spinal anesthesia levels. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.