Organ
Right main bronchus
Short main airway entering the right lung
High-yield
Its relatively wide, short and vertical course helps explain the tendency for inhaled objects to enter the right bronchial tree.
Overview
The right main bronchus descends more nearly in line with the trachea than the left. Its superior lobar branch arises early; the continuing bronchus intermedius leads toward the middle and inferior lobes.
Reference facts
- Location
- Between the carina and the right lung root; usually shorter and more vertical than the left main bronchus
- Parts
- Right superior lobar branch, followed by the bronchus intermedius and its middle and inferior lobar divisions
- Blood supply
- Right bronchial arterial supply, with variable origin and number of vessels
- Innervation
- Pulmonary plexus with vagal sensory and parasympathetic fibers and sympathetic contributions
- Relations
- Azygos arch above; right pulmonary artery anterior to the main bronchus, below the superior lobar bronchus
- Function
- Conducts air between the trachea and the three right lung lobes
Clinical correlation
An excessively advanced tracheal tube can enter a main bronchus, more often the right, and leave the opposite lung inadequately ventilated. Aspiration distribution also depends on posture and the material involved.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the right main bronchus located?
Between the carina and the right lung root; usually shorter and more vertical than the left main bronchus.
What does the right main bronchus do?
Conducts air between the trachea and the three right lung lobes.
What are the parts of the right main bronchus?
The parts of the right main bronchus are the right superior lobar branch, followed by the bronchus intermedius and its middle and inferior lobar divisions.
What is the blood supply of the right main bronchus?
The right main bronchus is supplied by the right bronchial arterial supply, with variable origin and number of vessels.