Bronchopulmonary segments

Each of the tertiary bronchi serves a specific bronchopulmonary segment. These segments each have their own artery. Thus, each bronchopulmonary segment is supplied by a segmental bronchus, and two arteries, a pulmonary artery and a bronchial artery which run together through the center of the segment. Veins and lymphatics drain along the edges.

The two main bronchi (right an left) give 5 lobar bronchi (for the 5 pulmonary lobes) that then divide into 20 segmental bronchi (for the 20 segments of the lung):

• Right superior lobar bronchus

  • Apical segmental bronchus [B I]

  • Posterior segmental bronchus [B II]

  • Anterior segmental bronchus [B III]

• Middle lobar bronchus

  • Lateral segmental bronchus [B IV]

  • Medial segmental bronchus [B V]

• Right inferior lobar bronchus

  • Intermediate bronchus (term not include in Terminologia Anatomica but widely used)

  • Superior segmental bronchus [B VI]

  • Medial basal segmental bronchus B VII

  • Anterior basal segmental bronchus [B VIII]

  • Lateral basal segmental bronchus [B IX]

  • Posterior basal segmental bronchus [B X]

• Left superior lobar bronchus

  • Apicoposterior segmental bronchus  [B I + II]

  • Anterior segmental bronchus [B III]

  • Superior lingular bronchus [B IV]

  • Inferior lingular bronchus [B V]

• Left inferior lobar bronchus

  • Superior segmental bronchus [B VI]

  • Medial basal segmental bronchus [B VII]

  • Anterior basal segmental bronchus [B VIII]

  • Lateral basal segmental bronchus [B IX]

  • Posterior basal segmental bronchus [B X]

Note : there are some variation in the nomenclature and numbers of lobes, for example, in the lower lobe of left lungs, some authors merge the anterior and medial basal segments, with only 4 segments in this lobe.