Thorax Lab 3 Module 2

SECTRA TABLE WORK: Page 4 of 4

	Add the entire tracheobronchial tree to view the full branching of the airways.
	Add the left and right pulmonary arteries along with their major branches. Note how the arteries closely follow the bronchial tree and enter each bronchopulmonary segment.
	Add the left and right pulmonary veins and their branches. Observe how the veins run between bronchopulmonary segments (intersegmental), draining oxygenated blood back to the heart.

	As with other organs, the vascular supply of the lung follows the path of the ducts and nerves serving those organs. What is the smallest unit of the lung that can be surgically removed with relative ease?
The bronchopulmonary segment is the smallest independent unit of the lung that can be surgically resected. Each segment has its own segmental (tertiary) bronchus, artery, and lymphatic drainage, and is separated from adjacent segments by connective tissue septa, allowing for segmentectomy without compromising surrounding lung tissue.


Tap on image to enlarge

Add the hilar, tracheal, and cervical lymph nodes. The mandible, clavicles, and first ribs were added for orientation.

	What is the clinical significance of lymphatic drainage from the lungs, thoracic wall, and neck in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer?
Lymphatic drainage from the lungs, thoracic wall, mediastinum, and neck often converges toward the cervical and supraclavicular lymph nodes. As a result, enlarged neck nodes, particularly the left supraclavicular node (Virchow’s node), may be an early sign of thoracic cancers such as lung or breast cancer.