Right superior pulmonary vein
Vena pulmonalis dextra superior
Definition
The right superior pulmonary vein is one of the four major pulmonary veins that carries oxygenated blood from the right upper lobe of the lung to the left atrium of the heart. It is positioned adjacent to the superior vena cava.
In the typical four-vein configuration (present in approximately 70-82% of individuals), the right superior pulmonary vein drains the right upper lobe and the middle lobe and enters the posterolateral aspect of the left atrium with various branches:
Lateral vein of right lung and Medial vein of right lung draining directly in the right superior pulmonary vein or commonly in a middle lobar vein of right lung
The mean ostial diameter is approximately 14.3-17.6 mm, and the mean distance from the ostium to the first bifurcation is approximately 11.8-14.5 mm.
The right superior pulmonary vein typically receives drainage from the middle lobe in about 83.5% of cases, though in 11% of individuals the middle lobe drains directly into the left atrium via a separate ostium.
Anatomical variations are relatively common. Approximately 18-30% of individuals have variant pulmonary vein anatomy. The most frequent variation is the presence of an additional middle right pulmonary vein (occurring in approximately 19-20% of cases), which when present has the smallest ostial diameter at around 8.2 mm. Other variations include a common right pulmonary vein trunk where the superior and inferior veins share a single ostium, and the "right top pulmonary vein"—an anomalous branch that may cross behind the intermediate bronchus and drain either directly into the left atrium or into the right superior pulmonary vein.
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