MAJOR ANATOMIC VARIATIONS OF PULMONARY FISSURES AND LOBES ON POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION

Area of Science:

• Anatomical Pathology
• Pulmonary Anatomy
• Forensic Medicine

Background:

• Variations in major fissures (MF) and accessory fissures (MAF) are not fully understood.
• Routine forensic autopsies offer a valuable opportunity to study lung morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of major accessory fissures (MAF) and absence or incompleteness of lobar or major fissures (MF).
• To document variations in pulmonary lobar anatomy during forensic autopsies.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 420 lungs from 210 forensic autopsy cases.
• Systematic examination for incomplete/absent MF and presence of complete accessory fissures.
• Detailed documentation and photography of observed fissural abnormalities and lobar variations.

Main Results:

• Incomplete horizontal fissures were observed in 18 right lungs; incomplete oblique fissures in 3 right and 2 left lungs.
• The most common abnormality was a less than half complete horizontal fissure.
• Accessory fissures led to variations in lobar number, with 4 right and 2 left lungs exhibiting tetralobar/trilobar structures.

Conclusions:

• Forensic autopsy series are crucial for understanding lung fissural variations in diverse populations.
• Autopsy findings complement imaging studies like CT scans for a comprehensive view of pulmonary anatomy variations.