THE BRONCHIAL ARTERIES AND THEIR ANASTOMOSES WITH PULMONARY VESSELS IN THE HUMAN LUNG / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

The human bronchial arteries and their anastomoses with pulmonary vessels were studied on normal and diseased lungs in 30 adult and infant cadavers under a magnification of 3～40 times.The bronchial arteries pursue a tortuous serpentine course along the surface of the bronchi. They divide either before or after the bifurcation of the bronchi and often send two branches coursing along each bronchus with one branch on each side of the bronchial wall. These branches usually form a network in the fibrous coat of the bronchus. Smaller twigs penetrate the bronchial walls and form a similar network in the submucosa.Mediastinal pleural branches and interlobar pleural branches of the bronchial arteries have their subpleural, independent course from the bronchial tree and their larger caliber at peripheral sites.In the visceral pleura and on the surface of the bronchi or within the bronchial wall, there are precapillary anastomoses between the bronchial and pulmonary arteries, and between the bronchial artery and pulmonary veins. The anastomoses occur either end to end or end to side.In the pleural adhesions of 9 cases of the lungs, the newly developed pleural branches arising from the intercostal, the superior intercostal, the pericardiophrenie or the internal mammary artery, anastomose with the bronchial artery via pleural arterial network to reinforce the blood supply for the diseased pulmonary area.The important physiological function of the anastomoses between the bronchial arteries and pulmonary vessels, as well as the course and distribution of the bronchial arteries in the lungs were discussed.