Visualization of the Colored Posterior Segment of the Right Lung, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly, the right lung is rendered with the posterior segment of the superior lobe (segmentum posterius, S2) color-coded against the remaining lobar parenchyma. Its wedge of tissue occupies the dorsosuperior portion of the upper lobe, lying inferior to the apical segment (S1) near the apex and superior to the anterior segment (S3), with its surface contour tracking the posterior aspect of the lung toward the vertebral column. Medially, the segment approaches the hilar region where the segmental bronchus (B2) and accompanying segmental pulmonary artery branch course into it. Segmental anatomy matters because pathology and interventions often respect these bronchopulmonary boundaries. Posterior right upper lobe disease, including aspiration-related pneumonitis in a supine patient or a cavitating focus of tuberculosis, commonly localizes to S2, and a posterior perspective helps correlate surface projection with endobronchial and surgical access. For thoracic surgeons, this is the segment targeted in right upper lobe segmentectomy, where identifying the B2 bronchus and A2 arterial branch supports a parenchyma-sparing resection while preserving adjacent segments. Pulmonology and thoracic surgery teaching files can pair this artwork with bronchoscopy navigation diagrams and CT correlations to reinforce how the dorsal (posterior) segment sits beneath the scapular region and above the oblique fissure line. It also reads well in radiology and anatomy coursework when explaining why posterior upper-lobe opacities behave differently in prone versus supine positioning. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.