Bronchoesophageal artery
Arteria bronchoesophagea [-oesophagea]
Definition
The broncho-oesophageal artery generally arises from the fifth right dorsal intercostal artery and runs alongside the oesophagus. It provides an oesophageal branch which divides into ascending and descending branches and supplies most of the intrathoracic oesophagus. It then branches into right and left bronchial branches and supplies the lungs.
There are frequent variations in the origin of the broncho-oesophageal artery and the bronchial and oesophageal branches.
References
Evans HE, de Lahunta A. Miller’s anatomy of the dog, 4th edition, Elsevier Saunders, St Louis, 2012.
