HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Teruhisa Kazui Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Asai, K. Articles by Kazui, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Asai, K. Articles by Kazui, T. Related Collections Lung - other

Ann Thorac Surg 2005;79:1866-1871
© 2005 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original article: General thoracic

Right Upper Lobe Venous Drainage Posterior to the Bronchus Intermedius: Preoperative Identification by Computed Tomography

^a Department of Thoracic Surgery, Numazu City Hospital, Numazu, Shizuoka
^b First Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan

Accepted for publication December 20, 2004.

^_* Address reprint requests to Dr Asai, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Numazu City Hospital, 550 Harunoki Higashi-shiiji, Numazu, Shizuoka, 410-0302 Japan (E-mail: asaik{at}msc.biglobe.ne.jp).

BACKGROUND: Anatomical variations of the pulmonary vessels relevant to pulmonary surgery are of concern to thoracic surgeons. Among such variations, the right upper lobe vein posterior to the bronchus intermedius (UVPBI) has received little attention thus far.

METHODS: Chest computed tomographic images and medical records of 725 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The frequency, drainage pattern, diameter, and associated anatomical characteristics of the UVPBI were assessed, and our right thoracotomy cases with the UVPBI were examined.

RESULTS: The UVPBI was found in 41 (5.7%) of 725 computed tomography cases, and in 9 (3.9%) of 230 right thoracotomy cases. Three UVPBI drainage sites were observed: (1) the superior pulmonary vein group, 55%; (2) the inferior pulmonary vein group, 41%; and (3) the superior segmental vein group, 4%. The diameter of the UVPBI at the level of the bronchus intermedius ranged from 1 to 7 mm (4.1 ± 1.6 mm). The diameter of the UVPBI in the superior pulmonary vein group was significantly greater than that in the inferior pulmonary vein group (p < 0.01). The prevalence of a central vein was 43.9% for all UVPBI cases and 15.8% for large UVPBI cases ( 5 mm in diameter). Of the 9 right thoracotomy patients, 1 suffered UVPBI injury; this patient’s UVPBI was not identified either preoperatively or intraoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS: The UVPBI is not as rare as was previously believed. It can be a main drainage route of the right upper lobe. Preoperative identification of this venous variation by computed tomography is useful for safe and accurate surgical procedures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				T. Nakamura, M. Koide, H. Nakamura, and F. Toyoda The common trunk of the left pulmonary vein injured incidentally during lung cancer surgery. Ann. Thorac. Surg., March 1, 2009; 87(3): 954 - 955. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Endo, H. Tsubochi, T. Nakano, and Y. Sohara A dangerous venous variation in thoracoscopic right lower lobectomy. Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2009; 87(2): e9 - e10. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]