A bronchopulmonary segment is a portion of

lung The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of t ...

supplied by a specific

segmental bronchus A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchus. ...

and its vessels. These arteries branch from the

pulmonary The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of ...

and

bronchial arteries In human anatomy, the bronchial arteries supply the lungs with nutrition and oxygenated blood. Although there is much variation, there are usually two bronchial arteries that run to the left lung, and one to the right lung and are a vital part o ...

, and run together through the center of the segment. Veins and lymphatic vessels drain along the edges of the segment. The segments are separated from each other by layers of

connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops from the mesenchyme derived from the mesoderm the middle embryonic germ layer. Connective tiss ...

that forms them into discrete anatomical and functional units. This separation means that a bronchopulmonary segment can be surgically removed without affecting the function of the others. There are ten bronchopulmonary segments in the right lung: three in the superior lobe, two in the middle lobe, and five in the inferior lobe. Some of the segments may fuse in the left lung to form usually eight to nine segments (four to five in the upper lobe and four to five in the lower lobe. The delineation of the bronchopulmonary segments was made by

Chevalier Jackson Chevalier Quixote Jackson (November 4, 1865 – August 16, 1958) was an American pioneer in laryngology. He is sometimes known as the "father of endoscopy", although Philipp Bozzini (1773–1809) is also often given this sobriquet. Chevalier Q. J ...

and John Franklin Huber at

Temple University Hospital Temple University Hospital (TUH) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an academic medical center in the United States which is a part of the healthcare network Temple Health. It is the chief clinical training site for the Temple University School of ...

Right lung

* Superior lobe ** apical segment ** posterior segment ** anterior segment * Middle lobe ** lateral segment ** medial segment * Inferior lobe ** superior segment ** medial-basal segment ** anterior-basal segment ** lateral-basal segment ** posterior-basal segment

Left lung

* Superior lobe ** apico-posterior segment (merger of "apical" and "posterior") ** anterior segment * Lingula of superior lobe ** inferior lingular segment ** superior lingular segment * Inferior lobe ** superior segment ** anteromedial basal segment (merger of "anterior basal" and "medial basal") ** posterior basal segment ** lateral basal segment

Clinical significance

*Usually the infection of the bronchopulmonary segment remains restricted to it, although tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma may spread from one segment to another. *Visualising the interior of the bronchi through a bronchoscope passed through the mouth and trachea, procedure is called bronchoscopy. *The

carina Carina may refer to: Places Australia * Carina, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina Heights, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane * Carina, Victoria, a locality in Mildura Serbia * Carina, Osečina, a village in the Kolubara District ...

of the

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a Cartilage, cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends ...

is a hook shaped process projecting backward from the lower margin of lowest tracheal ring. It helps to divide the trachea into two primary bronchi. The right bronchus makes an angle of 25°, while the left one makes an angle of 45°. * The carina is a sensitive area. When the patient is made to lie on her or his left side, secretions from the right bronchial tree flow toward the Carina due to the effect of gravity. This stimulates the cough reflex, and sputum is brought out. This is called postural drainage. *Paradoxical Respiration: during inspiration, the flail (abnormally mobile) segments of ribs are pulled inside the chest wall while during expiration the ribs are pushed out. *Tuberculosis of the lung is a common disease in certain parts of the world. A complete course of treatment must be taken under the guidance of a physician. *Bronchial Asthma is a common disease of the respiratory system. It occurs due to bronchospasm of smooth muscles in the wall of the bronchials).

References

External links

Bronchopulmonary Segments in 3D by Pauley Chea, MD
* - "Pleural Cavities and Lungs: Bronchopulmonary segments"

* * {{Authority control Lung anatomy