Posterior Placement of the Right Superior Lobar Bronchus

Description

Arising from the right main (primary, principalis) bronchus, the right superior lobar bronchus is presented in posterior aspect as it courses superiorly and laterally toward the upper lobe hilum. Near its origin, the right pulmonary artery lies anterior to the bronchus, while the right pulmonary veins occupy a more anterior and inferior plane. Rapid branching follows. Three segmental bronchi diverge to the apical, posterior, and anterior bronchopulmonary segments (B1 to B3), with the posterior segmental bronchus projecting most directly toward the dorsal lung parenchyma. Posterior placement matters because the right upper lobe bronchus is the classic eparterial bronchus, arising above the level of the pulmonary artery and giving an early trifurcation that influences both bronchoscopy orientation and surgical dissection at the hilum. Misidentifying a segmental takeoff can lead to incomplete clearance of mucus plugging in right upper lobe atelectasis or to wrong-segment resection during video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy. This view also clarifies why posterior segment disease can hide behind the hilum on frontal radiographs and why CT correlation often relies on tracking the segmental bronchus backward. Use this artwork for teaching bronchopulmonary segment anatomy in thoracic surgery and respiratory medicine courses, for atlas plates on right lung segmentectomy planning, or as a figure in manuscripts discussing bronchoscopy landmarks and right upper lobe obstruction patterns. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.