Oblique Fissures of the Lungs Anatomical View

Description

Shown from an inferior perspective, the right and left lungs are oriented to emphasize the oblique (major) fissures, the interlobar clefts that separate the superior lobes from the lower lobes on both sides and also demarcate the right middle lobe from the right lower lobe. Each fissura obliqua courses inferoanteriorly from the posterior thoracic wall region toward the anteroinferior margin, creating a diagonal boundary that becomes clearer when viewed from below. The fissural line sits lateral to the mediastinal surfaces and approaches the inferior border near the costodiaphragmatic region. Color coding traces the fissures against the pleural surface contours. Understanding the oblique fissure matters every time you localize disease by lobe on imaging or plan a lobectomy. On chest radiographs and CT, fissures define lobar anatomy and the expected routes for spread of pneumonia, atelectasis, and pleural fluid, and they help you distinguish a lower lobe process from a lingular or right middle lobe opacity. Surgeons also track the fissure during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, where an incomplete fissure can increase air leak risk and changes the dissection plane. Small line. Big consequences. Use this figure in thoracic anatomy courses when teaching lung lobes and interlobar (major) fissures, and in radiology or pulmonology teaching files where you annotate lobar localization in an inferior or basal-oriented view. It also fits operative atlases and patient-facing materials explaining why a segment or lobe, not the whole lung, can be removed. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.