Corpus: Bronchial artery

The Rami bronchiales aortae or Arteriae bronchiales are vascular branches of the thoracic aorta that supply the bronchi or lungs with arterial blood. They are the vasa privata of the lungs.

The bronchial aortic rami vary considerably in number, size and origin. Normally there is only one vascular branch on the right side, the ramus bronchialis dexter. It originates from the first posterior intercostal artery, sometimes also from the upper left branch of the bronchial artery.

On the left side, two bronchial rami are the rule, the Rami bronchiales sinistri. The upper left branch originates opposite the 5th thoracic vertebra, the lower one just below the level of the left main bronchus. Both vessels run along the back of the bronchi, following the division of the bronchi.

The bronchial aortic rami supply the bronchial mucosa, the connective tissue and the lymph nodes of the lungs. The supply area of the bronchial arteries extends up to and including the sacculi alveolares. This means that only the alveoli of the lung parenchyma are not supplied by the bronchial arteries, but by the branches of the two pulmonary arteries.

• Drake RL, Vogel W, Mitchell AWM: Gray's anatomy for students. 1st edition, 2007, Elsevier