Bronchopulmonary segments are the largest subdivisions of a lobe that each have their own segmental bronchus and segmental artery. They are roughly pyramid-shaped, with the apex towards the hilum and the base at the lung surface. The right lung usually has ten, and the left eight to ten.
| Location | Throughout both lungs: three in the right upper lobe, two in the middle lobe and five in the right lower lobe; four or five in the left upper lobe and four or five in the left lower lobe. |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Pulmonary plexus |
| Blood Supply | Segmental branches of the pulmonary arteries; Bronchial arteries |
| Venous drainage | |
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Act as functionally and surgically separate units of lung, each with its own air and arterial supply.
Because each segment has its own bronchus and artery, diseased segments can be removed (segmentectomy) while sparing healthy lung. Segment anatomy guides bronchoscopy, chest physiotherapy positioning for drainage, and the description of disease on CT. The veins run between segments, which surgeons use as landmarks for the planes of division.
Collapse of a single segment from airway blockage. It produces a wedge-shaped shadow on imaging.
A pus-filled cavity, often in dependent segments after aspiration. It needs prolonged antibiotics and occasionally drainage.
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