Pulmonary vessels and bronchial anatomy of the left lower lobe

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 50; no. 9; pp. 1081 - 1090
• Main Authors: Maki, Ryunosuke, Miyajima, Masahiro, Ogura, Keishi, Tada, Makoto, Takahashi, Yuki, Arai, Wataru, Adachi, Hirofumi, Watanabe, Atsushi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Segmentectomy; Lung anatomy; Left lower lobe; Three-dimensional CT
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-020-01991-y

Purpose To identify and clarify the comprehensive anatomic patterns in the left lower lobe (LLL). Methods Using computed tomography (CT) imaging data, including that obtained using three-dimensional CT, we reviewed the anatomic patterns of the pulmonary vessels and bronchi in the left lungs of 539 patients, focusing on the LLL. Results The two-stem type in A 6 was observed in 131 (24.7%) patients and the three-stem type in A 6 was observed in 11 (2.1%) patients. The independent two-stem type in B 6 was observed in four (0.75%) patients. The B 7 with independent branching from the basal bronchi was observed in 42 (7.9%) patients. B* was observed in 129 (24.0%) patients and B* was accompanied by A* in all patients. An extrapericardial common trunk of the left pulmonary veins was identified in five patients (0.93%). Conclusion We identified various bronchovascular patterns in the LLL of a large number of patients. Our results provide useful information for anatomic pulmonary resection, especially segmentectomy.