Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus II: Cardiovascular System

Bronchial Arteries

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

The most commonly encountered pattern of bronchial arterial supply, Type 1 (A), occurred in 46.67% of specimens (143 of 300 cases); the pattern is that described as "normal" in standard textbooks. In these specimens, 2 left and 1 right bronchial artery are present. Next in order of frequency is the pattern, type 2 (B), in which a bronchial artery passes to each lung; this schema of bronchial arterial origin occurred in 24.33% of cases (73 of 300). The third major group, type 3 (C), is characterized by bilateral duplication of arteries; it was encountered in 14.33% of cases (43 of 300). These three types comprised 86,33% of the arterial patterns in all cadavers studied (that is, together they represent approximately 7 of 8 specimens). In 7.67% of cases (23 of 300), type 4 (D), the pattern was found to be the reverse of type 1 - with 1 artery to the left lung, and 2 to the right. In type 5 (E), 3 arteries were sent to the left lung, a single vessel to the right; this schema of bronchial supply occurred in 3% of specimens (9 of 300). In type 6 (F), 3 bronchial arteries were present on the left side, 2 on the right. In type 7 (G), (2 in 300),0.67%, the reverse of this pattern was encountered (3 on the right, 2 on the left). In a single specimen, type 8 (H), 0.33% (1 in 300),4 bronchial arteries were present on the left side; in another, type 9 (I), 0.33%, the pattern was the reverse of that representing type 8.

from Cauldwell, Siekert, Lininger and Anson, 1950.

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