Left pulmonary artery
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- Left main pulmonary artery
The left pulmonary artery is one of the branches of the pulmonary trunk, branching at the level of the transthoracic plane of Ludwig. It is shorter than the right pulmonary artery and represents a direct posterior continuation of the pulmonary trunk. It arches posterosuperiorly over the superior margin of the left main bronchus and when posterior to the bronchus enters the superior aspect of the hilum of the left lung where it divides.
The branching pattern is variable, much more so than that of the right pulmonary artery. In >90% of cases, there are 3-5 branches of the left pulmonary artery that vascularize the left upper lobe in various configurations 4.
The part supplying the left lower lobe may be called the descending or interlobar artery. In most cases, one or two branches are given off supplying the apical segment before splitting into two terminal divisions 5.
In the fetus, the ductus arteriosus connects the proximal left pulmonary artery to the undersurface of the isthmus of the aorta, allowing blood to bypass the lungs. At birth, the ductus closes, and over time fibroses to form the ligamentum arteriosum, which may calcify.
The normal upper limit in size can be variable but is usually taken at around 22 mm 6.
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Related pathology
References
- 1. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Maciejewski R, Kutnik B. Branches of the left pulmonary artery vascularizing the left upper pulmonary lobe. (1990) Acta anatomica. 138 (3): 224-9. doi:10.1159/000146944 - Pubmed
- 5. CORY RA, VALENTINE EJ. Varying patterns of the lobar branches of the pulmonary artery. A study of 524 lungs and lobes seen at operation of 426 patients. (1959) Thorax. 14: 267-80. doi:10.1136/thx.14.4.267 - Pubmed
- 6. Bozlar U, Ors F, Deniz O et al. Pulmonary Artery Diameters Measured by Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography in Healthy Adults. Acta Radiol. 2007;48(10):1086-91. doi:10.1080/02841850701545755 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
- Aortic-pulmonary stripe
- Left pulmonic recess
- Pulmonary artery intramural haematoma
- Fetal circulation
- Left main bronchus
- Middle mediastinum
- Left lower lobe
- Right pulmonary artery
- Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary trunk
- Ligamentum arteriosum
- Left lower lobe collapse
- Ductus arteriosus
- Saddle pulmonary embolism
- Normal hilar position (mnemonic)
- Anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery
- Potts shunt
- Aberrant left pulmonary artery
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (L)
- Aortopulmonary window (radiograph)
- Chen sign
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