Fine anatomical classification of the bronchi in left lower lobe and guidance for sublobectomy.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to analyze the branching pattern and anatomic variation of the bronchi in left lower lobe.

METHODS

CT data of some patients admitted to Hebei General Hospital from September 2021 to September 2023 were collected, and the bronchial branch pattern of the left lower lobe was analyzed.

RESULTS

Left B6 was classified into single-branch type (521 cases, 96.5%) and two-branches type (19 cases, 3.5%) according to the number of bronchial stems. B7 can be classified into 10 types according to its original position, among which the most common type is B7 originates from B8 (299 cases, 55.4%). The left B7-B10 was classified into three types: B7-B10 bifurcated type (434 cases, 80.4%), B7-B10 trifurcated type (101 cases, 18.7%), and B7-B10 quadrivial type (5 cases, 0.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

We analyzed the branching pattern of the bronchi in left lower lobe and discussed the related surgical methods deeply. Some new anatomical types are proposed for the first time, which fill the relevant gaps in this field.