Pulmonary trunk

Last revised by Assoc Prof Craig Hacking ◉ ◈ on 14 Sep 2021

Citation, DOI and article data

Citation:

Hacking, C. Pulmonary trunk. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org. (accessed on 26 Jan 2022) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-49256

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-49256

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/49256

rID:

49256

Article created:

17 Nov 2016 by Assoc Prof Craig Hacking ◉ ◈

Revisions:

14 times by 5 users - see full revision history

System:

Chest, Vascular

Section:

Anatomy

Tag:

Synonyms:

Main pulmonary artery (mPA)
Main pulmonary artery
Pulmonary artery

The pulmonary trunk or main pulmonary artery (mPA) is the solitary arterial output from the right ventricle, transporting deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation.

Gross anatomy

The pulmonary trunk is approximately 50 mm long and 30 mm wide (most authors use 29 mm in males and 27 mm in females (axial width) as the cut-offs of normal ^1,5). It arises as a direct superior continuation of the right ventricular outflow tract, 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 (on the left) and the auricle of the left atrium.