Right top pulmonary veins associated with lung incomplete fissure and displaced bronchus: a retrospective study using...

Anatomical features associated with the right top pulmonary vein (RTPV) remain unclear. This study aimed to reveal the incidence, form and associated pulmonary anatomical features of RTPVs.

Thoracic computed tomography images taken from 4673 patients at our hospital between 2016 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively for frequency, bifurcation pattern, inflow site, vascular diameter, and associated pulmonary anatomical features of RTPV.

RTPVs were observed in 154 (3.3%) patients; the mean diameter was 3.7 mm. The bifurcation patterns of without (V² type) and with branches of the right superior segmental vein (V²⁺⁶ type) were present in 50 and 104 patients, respectively. The inflow sites were the superior pulmonary vein (SPV group) and other sites (non-SPV group) in 86 and 68 patients, respectively. The incidence of incomplete fissure (ICF) in patients with and without RTPV was 44.2% and 7.9% (p < 0.001), respectively. The incidence of displaced bronchus (DB) with and without RTPV was 7.8% and 0.8% (p < 0.001), respectively. The mean diameter in the SPV and non-SPV groups were 4.0 mm and 3.3 mm, respectively (p = 0.002). The incidence of ICF in the group of V²⁺⁶ and V² types were 51.0% and 30.0%, respectively (p = 0.016). The incidence of ICF (54.4% vs 36.0%, p = 0.033) and DB (16.2% vs 1.1%, p < 0.001) increased significantly in the non-SPV group compared to the SPV group.

In patients with RTPV the incidence of ICF and DB increased. Moreover, the bifurcation patterns and inflow sites were associated with the anatomical features of the lung.