The Segments of The Lungs

A Commentary on their Investigation and Morbid Radiology

¹ London, England
² From the Brompton Hospital, London

The segmental conception of pulmonary anatomy is not new, but has become increasingly important in recent years. A bronchopulmonary segment is defined as that area of lung supplied by a principal branch of a lobar bronchus. On this basis, each lung is divided into a convenient number of major segments. We have described in detail methods of investigating segmental anatomy and radiology, and also the radiological features of each segment as illustrated by consolidation and collapse. Pulmonary segments are variable units of a mobile structure and are, therefore, only susceptible of approximate anatomical description. Thus, variations in the appearance of their lesions are not uncommon.

The detection of a segmental lesion in the lung immediately concentrates attention upon the related bronchus, which is then so often found to be abnormal. This has an important bearing upon the diagnosis and early treatment of bronciahl growths.

Other applications of segmental anatomy are described.