Pulmonary trunk
Updates to Synonym Attributes
Updates to Article Attributes
The pulmonary trunk is the solitary arterial output from the right ventricle, transporting deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation. It is approximately 50 mm long and 30 mm wide (most authors use 29mm width as the cut off of normal1).
It arises as a direct superior continuation of the right ventricular outflow track, separated by the pulmonary valve. As it ascends it slants posteriorly and to the left of the ascending aorta. With the ascending aorta, the pulmonary trunk is invested in a common sheath of serous visceral pericardium, anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus.
At the level of the transthoracic plane, the trunk emerges from the fibrous pericardium and divides into the longer right and shorter left pulmonary arteries in the concavity of the aortic arch, anterior to left main bronchus and to the left of the carina.
The left coronary artery passes between the pulmonary trunk of the left and the auricle of the left atrium.
Related pathology
differential of an enlarged pulmonary trunk on CXRIdiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary trunkTransposition of the great arteriesTruncus arteriosusPatent ductus arteriosusDouble outlet left ventricleALCAPA
Gross anatomy
It is approximately 50 mm long and 30 mm wide (most authors use 29 mm width as the cut off of normal 1).
It arises as a direct superior continuation of the right ventricular outflow track, separated by the pulmonary valve. As it ascends it slants posteriorly and to the left of the ascending aorta. With the ascending aorta, the pulmonary trunk is invested in a common sheath of serous visceral pericardium, anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus.
At the level of the transthoracic plane, the trunk emerges from the fibrous pericardium and divides into the longer right and shorter left pulmonary arteries in the concavity of the aortic arch, anterior to left main bronchus and to the left of the carina.
The left coronary artery passes between the pulmonary trunk of the left and the auricle of the left atrium.
Related pathology
-<![endif]--><!--StartFragment-->The <strong>pulmonary trunk</strong> is the solitary arterial output from the <a href="/articles/right-ventricle">right ventricle</a>, transporting deoxygenated blood to the <a href="/articles/lung">lungs</a> for oxygenation. It is approximately 50 mm long and 30 mm wide (most authors use 29mm width as the cut off of normal<sup>1</sup>). </p><p>It arises as a direct superior continuation of the right ventricular outflow track, separated by the <a href="/articles/pulmonary-valve">pulmonary valve</a>. As it ascends it slants posteriorly and to the left of the <a href="/articles/ascending-aorta">ascending aorta</a>. With the ascending aorta, the pulmonary trunk is invested in a common sheath of serous visceral <a href="/articles/pericardium">pericardium</a>, anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus.</p><p>At the level of the <a href="/articles/thoracic-plane">transthoracic plane</a>, the trunk emerges from the fibrous pericardium and divides into the longer <a href="/articles/right-pulmonary-artery">right</a> and shorter <a href="/articles/left-pulmonary-artery">left pulmonary arteries</a> in the concavity of the <a href="/articles/aortic-arch">aortic arch</a>, anterior to <a href="/articles/left-main-bronchus">left main bronchus</a> and to the left of the <a href="/articles/carina">carina</a>.</p><p>The <a href="/articles/left-main-coronary-artery-1">left coronary artery</a> passes between the pulmonary trunk of the left and the auricle of the <a href="/articles/left-atrium-1">left atrium</a>.</p><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul>-<li><a href="/articles/differential-of-an-enlarged-pulmonary-trunk-on-chest-radiography">differential of an enlarged pulmonary trunk on CXR</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/idiopathic-dilatation-of-the-pulmonary-trunk">Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary trunk</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/transposition-of-the-great-arteries">Transposition of the great arteries</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/truncus-arteriosus">Truncus arteriosus</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/patent-ductus-arteriosus">Patent ductus arteriosus</a></li>-<li><a title="Double outlet left ventricle" href="/articles/double-outlet-left-ventricle">Double outlet left ventricle</a></li>- +<![endif]--><!--StartFragment-->The <strong>pulmonary trunk</strong> is the solitary arterial output from the <a href="/articles/right-ventricle">right ventricle</a>, transporting deoxygenated blood to the <a href="/articles/lung">lungs</a> for oxygenation.</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>It is approximately 50 mm long and 30 mm wide (most authors use 29 mm width as the cut off of normal <sup>1</sup>). </p><p>It arises as a direct superior continuation of the right ventricular outflow track, separated by the <a href="/articles/pulmonary-valve">pulmonary valve</a>. As it ascends it slants posteriorly and to the left of the <a href="/articles/ascending-aorta">ascending aorta</a>. With the ascending aorta, the pulmonary trunk is invested in a common sheath of serous visceral <a href="/articles/pericardium">pericardium</a>, anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus.</p><p>At the level of the <a href="/articles/thoracic-plane">transthoracic plane</a>, the trunk emerges from the fibrous pericardium and divides into the longer <a href="/articles/right-pulmonary-artery">right</a> and shorter <a href="/articles/left-pulmonary-artery">left pulmonary arteries</a> in the concavity of the <a href="/articles/aortic-arch">aortic arch</a>, anterior to <a href="/articles/left-main-bronchus">left main bronchus</a> and to the left of the <a href="/articles/carina">carina</a>.</p><p>The <a href="/articles/left-main-coronary-artery-1">left coronary artery</a> passes between the pulmonary trunk of the left and the auricle of the <a href="/articles/left-atrium-1">left atrium</a>.</p><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul>
- +<li><a href="/articles/differential-of-an-enlarged-pulmonary-trunk-on-chest-radiography">differential of an enlarged pulmonary trunk on chest x-ray </a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/idiopathic-dilatation-of-the-pulmonary-trunk">idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary trunk</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/transposition-of-the-great-arteries">transposition of the great arteries</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/truncus-arteriosus">truncus arteriosus</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/patent-ductus-arteriosus">patent ductus arteriosus</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/double-outlet-left-ventricle">double outlet left ventricle</a></li>
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