The lobar (secondary) bronchi are the branches of the main bronchi that supply each lobe of the lungs. There are three on the right (superior, middle and inferior) and two on the left (superior and inferior). Their walls are supported by irregular plates of cartilage rather than complete rings.
| Location | Within the hila and roots of the lungs, each entering its own lobe alongside a lobar branch of the pulmonary artery. |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Pulmonary plexus; Vagus nerve (parasympathetic, bronchoconstriction and mucus secretion); Sympathetic fibres from T2-T5 ganglia (bronchodilation) |
| Blood Supply | Bronchial arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Distribute air to the individual lobes and provide the structural basis for lobar anatomy, so that a lobe can be removed with its own bronchus and vessels.
Blockage of a lobar bronchus by a tumour, mucus plug or foreign body causes collapse of the whole lobe beyond it, giving characteristic patterns on chest X-ray. Lobectomy, the standard operation for early lung cancer, divides the lobar bronchus. Chronic infection can permanently widen the bronchi (bronchiectasis).
Loss of air from a lobe after its bronchus is blocked. It causes breathlessness and is seen on X-ray as a dense, shrunken lobe.
Permanent widening and scarring of bronchi with chronic cough and sputum. It follows severe infection or conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
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