Right Pulmonary Artery

arteria pulmonalis dextra

The right pulmonary artery is the longer of the two main pulmonary arteries, arising from the pulmonary trunk and passing to the right behind the ascending aorta and the superior vena cava to reach the right hilum. It divides into upper and lower divisions supplying the right upper lobe from its superior surface and the right middle and lower lobes from its inferior surface. The right pulmonary artery is entirely extralobar at its origin but becomes intimately related to the bronchial tree at the hilum.

Region: Chest

Clinical Relevance

Clinical Notes

The right pulmonary artery is the most common site for right heart catheter placement, accessed via the internal jugular or subclavian vein and floating a Swan-Ganz catheter through the right heart into the pulmonary artery under pressure waveform guidance. The proximal right pulmonary artery behind the SVC is the site of surgical clamping during pneumonectomy and is the target vessel in pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for right-sided chronic thromboembolic disease. Pulmonary artery sarcoma, a rare but aggressive tumour, typically arises in the main pulmonary arteries.

Pathology

Common Injuries & Conditions

Central Pulmonary Embolus

Thrombus lodging in the right pulmonary artery produces acute right ventricular strain with the characteristic CT findings of a filling defect in the main and lobar arteries, saddle embolus, and right heart dilation, requiring anticoagulation and risk stratification for reperfusion therapy.