The Bronchial Arteries and Their Anastomoses in the Human Lung

¹ Attending Staff, Vancouver General Hospital

Corrosion models of human lungs were made for the purpose of studying the anastomoses between the bronchial and pulmonary arteries.

The diameter of the anastomotic vessels ranged from 0.05 mm. to 0.5 mm. in size, and their length from 0.1 mm. to 10 mm. They were found on bronchi measuring in diameter from 1.60 mm. to 3.50 mm. Anastomoses were not confined to secondary lobules, but were found throughout the lung parenchyma except for a small area surrounding the hilum. In the regions where the pulmonary artery branches measured 0.2 mm. to 0.3 mm. in diameter, the anastomoses were very numerous.

The physiologic importance of the bronchial arteries and their anastomoses with the pulmonary arteries has been discussed.