Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction for the Whole Lung with Early Multiple Pulmonary Nodules
Published on: October 13, 2023
Anatomical structure of pulmonary vessels and bronchi in the right upper lobe based on three-dimensional
Wu Yan1,2, MengXuan Wang3, YongSheng Li1,2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, China.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomical patterns of the right upper lobe pulmonary segments through three dimensional reconstruction and to describe the frequency of observed variant types.
Methods:
Three-dimensional reconstruction of images of the pulmonary structures was performed in 67 patients with ground-glass pulmonary nodules who were due for segmentectomy in our hospital, from August 2021 to June 2025.
Results:
Incidentally, the reconstructed models were used for the statistical analysis of the anatomical structures in the right upper lobe. In terms of results, the most common anatomical variant of the bronchus right upper lobe was trifurcate (51/67). This was followed by bifurcate (16/67). Bifurcation was the most common configuration (36/67) in the right upper lobe pulmonary artery followed by trifurcation (16/67) and singled branching (8/67). The most frequent configuration of the right upper lobe pulmonary veins was anterior vein + central vein (42/67), followed by anterior vein + posterior vein (7/67) and isolated central vein (7/67). Furthermore, a set of 12 rare variations were also observed, which includes 4 bronchial cases, 2 pulmonary artery cases, and 7 pulmonary vein variations cases.
Conclusion:
The lung has complex anatomical structures with various variations. The surgeon must have a proper knowledge of the segmental anatomy of the area of the operation. The study offers a descriptive reference of anatomical variations that may assist in preoperative planning and intraoperative orientation for right upper lobe segmentectomy.
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