Airway Supplying the Posterior Segment of the Right Lung

Description

Arising from the right main bronchus, the eparterial right superior lobar bronchus gives off a segmental (tertiary) branch that courses laterally and posteriorly to ventilate the posterior segment of the right upper lobe (B2, Ramus bronchialis segmenti posterioris). The airway lies posterior to the upper lobe pulmonary vein tributaries and accompanies a segmental pulmonary artery branch that typically runs superior to the bronchus in the upper lobe. Proximally, the bronchus sits anterior to the esophagus and vertebral column and posterior to the ascending aorta and superior vena cava. Smaller subsegmental bronchi arborize distally toward the pleural surface. Segment-level bronchial anatomy matters when you need to localize disease to a bronchopulmonary segment or plan a parenchyma-sparing resection. The posterior segment of the right upper lobe is a frequent site for aspiration-related or postobstructive infection in bedridden patients, since dependent posterior airways can pool secretions. It is also a common target for bronchoscopy sampling when a CT report specifies a posterior upper-lobe nodule, and understanding the eparterial branching pattern helps avoid wrong-segment lavage or biopsy. Use this artwork in thoracic anatomy and respiratory block teaching, bronchoscopy and pulmonary fellowship materials, radiology figure legends that correlate CT segment maps with bronchi, and cardiothoracic surgery publications describing right upper-lobe segmentectomy (B2). A clean segmental bronchus view also fits patient-facing handouts explaining where an infection or tumor sits within the right lung. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.