Bronchial artery

Artery: Bronchial artery
Bronchial artery labeled at center right.
Latin	rami bronchiales partis thoracicae aortae, arteriae bronchiales
Gray's	subject #153 600
Supplies	lungs
Source	thoracic aorta
Drain	Bronchial veins

In human anatomy, the bronchial arteries help supply the lungs with oxygenated blood. Although there is much variation, there are usually two bronchial arteries that run to the left lung, and one to the right lung.

Origin

The left bronchial arteries (superior & inferior) usually arise directly from the thoracic aorta.

The single right bronchial artery usually arises from one of the following:

• 1) the thoracic aorta at a common trunk with the right 3rd posterior intercostal artery
• 2) the superior bronchial artery on the left side
• 3) any number of the right intercostal arteries

Distribution to lung

The bronchial arteries supply blood to the bronchi and connective tissue of the lungs. They travel with and branch with the bronchi, ending about at the level of the respiratory bronchioles. They anastomose with the branches of the pulmonary arteries, and together, they supply the visceral pleura of the lung in the process.

Note that much of the blood supplied by the bronchial arteries is returned via the pulmonary veins rather than the bronchial veins.

Each bronchial artery also has a branch that supplies the esophagus.

Comparison with pulmonary arteries

It is easy to confuse the bronchial arteries with the pulmonary arteries, because they both supply the lungs with blood, but there are important differences:

Pathology

The bronchial arteries are typically enlarged and tortuous in chronic pulmonary thromboembolic hypertension.^[1]

See also

• Bronchial veins
• Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy

References

1. ^ Kauczor H, Schwickert H, Mayer E, Schweden F, Schild H, Thelen M. "Spiral CT of bronchial arteries in chronic thromboembolism". J Comput Assist Tomogr 18 (6): 855–61. PMID 7962789. 

External links

• SUNY Figs 21:06-06 - "Branches of the ascending aorta, arch of the aorta, and the descending aorta."
• Histology at BU 13903loa
• Bronchial arteries - anatquest.nlm.nih.gov.

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