Medial Presentation of the Posterior Basal Segments (Right Lung In Color)

Description

Medial surface anatomy of the right lung is rendered in color to isolate the posterior basal bronchopulmonary segment of the inferior lobe (segmentum basale posterius, S10) and its adjacent basal segments. Along the mediastinal face, the inferior pulmonary ligament descends from the hilum toward the diaphragmatic surface, while the posteriorly placed segmental territory slopes inferiorly and dorsally toward the vertebral column. Segmental boundaries are indicated on the pleural surface, clarifying how the basal segments occupy the posteroinferior lung deep to the costovertebral recess. Orientation is unambiguous. Teaching segmental anatomy from a medial perspective matters because surgeons and interventional pulmonologists plan resections and bronchoscopic navigation by bronchopulmonary segments, not lobes. S10 is frequently targeted in segmentectomy for small peripheral adenocarcinomas or metastases in the posterior basal region, where the segmental bronchus and accompanying pulmonary arterial branch run posteroinferiorly and can be approached along the fissure or via a posterior hilar route. Atelectasis or aspiration-related infection also tends to involve dependent posterior basal parenchyma, and this relationship to the dorsal thorax is easier to explain when the segment is mapped on the mediastinal surface rather than only on a lateral view. Clear landmarks help. Use this illustration in thoracic anatomy and radiology modules when correlating bronchopulmonary segments with CT, bronchoscopy, and operative planning for VATS segmentectomy of the right lower lobe. It also suits cardiothoracic surgery texts, pulmonary case reports, and patient-facing diagrams that need accurate segment-level localization without overloading the viewer. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.