Inferior lingular artery of left lung

At a glance

English

Inferior lingular artery of left lung

Latin (TA2)

Arteria lingularis inferior pulmonis sinistri

System

Artery

Region

Trunk

Side

Single, on the midline

About the inferior lingular artery of left lung

On the left side the upper lobe extends down in front of the heart as the lingula, which plays the part taken on the right by the middle lobe. The lingula holds two bronchopulmonary segments. The inferior lingular segment, at the lower front of the upper lobe, lies against the left border of the heart and reaches towards the cardiac notch.

Its artery is a branch of the left pulmonary artery. After that vessel has crossed above the left main bronchus, it continues down behind and lateral to the bronchial tree as the interlobar part, lying deep in the oblique fissure. From the front of this part come the lingular arteries, often as one trunk splitting into superior and inferior branches. The inferior lingular artery runs forwards and downwards with the inferior lingular bronchus into its segment.

Within the segment it divides alongside each airway, ending in the capillaries around the alveoli. It carries deoxygenated blood, so it supplies the segment for gas exchange only; the lung tissue itself is nourished by the bronchial arteries.

Its close relation to the heart border explains a radiological sign: disease filling the inferior lingular segment blurs the outline of the left heart border on a frontal chest film. Surgeons who remove the lingula or a single segment ligate this branch separately once they have identified it in the fissure.

Course and supply

Arises from

The interlobar part of the left pulmonary artery, directly or from a common lingular trunk.

Ends in

Divides inside the inferior lingular segment into subsegmental branches that follow the airways to the alveolar capillaries.

Supplies

Carries deoxygenated blood to the inferior lingular segment of the left upper lobe for gas exchange.