Posterior Segment of the Right Lung, Superior View

Description

Viewed from superior to inferior, the posterior segment (segmentum posterius, S2) of the right superior lobe is isolated and oriented toward the lung apex, where its parenchyma forms a wedge or pyramidal volume tapering cranially. Its pleural surface lies posterolaterally against the thoracic wall, while the segment’s medial aspect faces the bronchovascular core at the hilum. Anteriorly, S2 relates to the anterior segment (S3), and inferiorly it abuts the superior segment (S6) of the right lower lobe across the oblique fissure. Segmental bronchus B2 and its accompanying segmental pulmonary artery branch (A2) course centrally, with intersegmental pulmonary veins running along the planes that separate S2 from adjacent segments. A superior orientation clarifies how the apical and posterior portions of the upper lobe are partitioned, a point that often gets blurred on standard frontal chest radiographs where overlying ribs and the clavicle obscure the apical lung. Tuberculosis, post-primary cavitation, and certain pneumoconioses show a predilection for the upper lobes, and localizing disease to S2 influences bronchoscopy targeting and surgical planning. For thoracic surgeons, this segment-based geometry maps directly onto VATS or robotic right upper lobe segmentectomy, where following the intersegmental veins helps define a safe resection plane. Clear boundaries matter. Use this image for gross anatomy teaching on bronchopulmonary segments, for radiology modules that correlate lobar and segmental anatomy with CT lung windows, and for operative atlases illustrating right upper lobe segmentectomy anatomy and lymphatic drainage patterns in early-stage lung cancer staging. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.