Corpus: Pulmonary vein

The pulmonary veins or pulmonary veins are the blood vessels that transport oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart.

The pulmonary veins begin in the capillary network around the pulmonary alveoli and form into larger vessels in the lung tissue until they finally form a main vessel for each lung lobe - three for the right and two for the left lung. Unlike other veins in the body, they do not have venous valves.

The main vessels of the middle and upper lobes of the right lung usually merge into one vein, so that each lung eventually sends out two vessels that pierce the pericardium and open into the upper and posterior part of the left atrium. Sometimes the three veins on the right side also flow separately into the left atrium.

Classification[Bearbeiten]

• Venae pulmonales dextrae (right pulmonary veins)
  • Vena pulmonalis dextra superior: Drains the blood of the apical (S1), posterior (S2) and anterior upper lobe segment (S3) as well as the middle lobe (S4 and S5).
  • Vena pulmonalis dextra inferior: has two main tributaries, of which the cranial drains the lower lobe apex and the caudal is formed by the confluence of vena basalis superior (from S8 and S9) and vena basalis inferior (from S7, S9 and S10).
• Venae pulmonales sinistrae (left pulmonary veins)
  • Vena pulmonalis sinistra superior: Drains the apicoposterior (S1+2) and the anterior upper lobe segment (S3) as well as the lingula (S4 and S5).
  • Inferior pulmonary sinus vein: carries blood in an upper branch from the tip of the lower lobe (S6) and with the common basal vein blood from the base of the lower lobe (S8 to S10).