Introduction
The bronchopulmonary segments are well-defined, wedge-shaped sectors of the lungs, which are aerated by tertiary (segmental) bronchi. They also have their own arterial supply and venous drainage.
Characteristics/Features
The bronchopulmonary segments are:
- The largest subdivisions of a lobe
- Pyramidal-shaped segments of the lung with their apices facing the lung root and their bases at the pleural surface
- Separated from adjacent segments by connective tissue septa
- Supplied independently by a segmental bronchus and a tertiary branch of the pulmonary artery
- Named according to the segmental bronchi supplying them
- Drained by intersegmental parts of the pulmonary veins that lie in the connective tissue between and drain adjacent segments
- Usually 18-20 in number (10 in the right lung; 8-12 in the left lung depending on the combining segments)
- Surgically resectable
Division of the Bronchopulmonary Segments
Right Lung
- Superior lobe
- Apical
- Posterior
- Anterior
- Middle lobe
- Lateral
- Medial
- Inferior lobe
- Superior
- Anterior basal
- Medial basal
- Lateral basal
- Posterior basal
Mnemonic – A PALM SAM LiP
Left Lung
- Superior lobe
- Apical
- Posterior
- Superior lingular
- Inferior lingular
- Inferior lobe
- Superior
- Anterior basal
- Medial basal
- Lateral basal
- Posterior basal
Mnemonic – A PASIng SAM LiP
For The Left Lung:
- Apical and posterior segments of the superior lobe typically combine into the apicoposterior segment.
- Anterior basal and medial basal segments of the inferior lobe often combine into the anteriomedial basal segment.
Vasculature
- Each segment is supplied by a tertiary branch of the pulmonary artery.
- It is drained by intersegmental parts of the pulmonary vein that lie in the connective tissue between and drain adjacent segments.
DIAGRAM
Clinical Correlates
- Segmental atelectasis
- Bronchoscopy
- Pathological conditions such as bronchiectasis and certain infective processes may be restricted to one or more bronchopulmonary segments.
Note: I’ve removed extraneous elements like "profisy4CHRIST", emojis, and the phrase "…till I breathe my last" as they don’t contribute to a professional blog post.
