Posterior vein of right lung

The posterior vein of the right lung (V2; Posterior segmental vein) is the pulmonary vein draining the posterior segment (S2) of the right upper lobe and drains into the right superior pulmonary vein, though anatomical variations exist.

The posterior segmental vein demonstrates considerable anatomical variability. In the most common configuration, it receives tributaries including the intersegmental vein V2a, which in approximately 79% of cases returns to the posterior segment central vein. An important anatomical variant is the retrobronchial course of the posterior segmental vein, which occurs in approximately 8% of individuals, where the vein courses posterior to the bronchus intermedius before draining into either the superior or inferior pulmonary vein.