Fissures & Lobes Of Lungs
FISSURES & LOBES OF LUNGS
FISSURES
- The oblique fissure (in both right & left lungs) cuts into the whole thickness of the lung, except at the hilum.
- It passes obliquely downward & forwards, crossing the posterior border of lung about 6 cm below the apex & the inferior border of lung about 5 cm from the median plane.
- In the right lung, horizontal fissures passes from the anterior border of lung to the oblique fissure & sepaeates a wedge-shaped middle lobe from the upper border.
- The fissure runs horizontally at the level of 4th costal cartilage & meets the oblique fissure in the midaxillary line.
- The tongue-shaped projection of the lung below the cardiac notch is called lingula.
- It corresponds to the middle lobe of the right lung.
Surface marking of fissures
OBLIQUE FISSURE can be drawn by joining:
- A point 8 cm lateral to 3rd thoracic vertebra.
- Another point on the 5th rib in mid axillary line.
- A third point on the 6th costal cartilage 7.5 cm from the median plane.
HORIZONTAL FISSURES is represented by a line joining:
- A point on the anterior border of the right lung at the level of the fourth costal cartilage.
- A second point on the fifth rib in the midaxillary line.

LOBES OF LUNGS
- The right lung is divided into 3 lobes (upper, middle & lower) by two fissures, oblique & horizontal.
- The left lung is divided into two lobes (upper & lower) by the oblique fissures.
- Each lobe is further subdivided into bronchopulmonary segments.
- Each lung has 10 bronchopulmonary segments.
RIGHT LUNG |
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UPPER LOBE |
MIDDLE LOBE |
LOWER LOBE |
1. Apical |
4. Lateral |
6. Superior |
2. Posterior |
5. Medial |
7. Anterior basal |
3. Anterior |
|
8. Medial basal |
|
|
9. Lateral basal |
|
|
10. Posterior basal |
LEFT LUNG |
|
UPPER LOBE |
LOWER LOBE |
1. Apical |
6. Superior |
2. Posterior |
7. Anterior basal |
3. Anterior |
8. Medial basal |
4.Superiorlingular |
9. Lateral basal |
5. Inferior lingular |
10. Posterior basal |
Exam Question
- Bulging fissures in lungs is seen in Klebsiella pneumonia.
- Each lung has 10 bronchopulmonary segments.
- Right lung is divided into 3 lobes (upper, middle & lower) by two fissures, oblique & horizontal.
- The left lung is divided into two lobes (upper & lower) by the oblique fissures.
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