Pulmonary

~9% of blueprint

Obstructive vs. restrictive, PE, pneumonia, pleural disease.

Disease Profiles

Region: Pleural cavities of the thorax.
Key Structures: Right lung: 3 lobes (horizontal + oblique fissures). Left lung: 2 lobes (oblique fissure) + lingula + cardiac notch.
Clinical Correlation: Lobar pneumonia and atelectasis localize by lobe on imaging; the cardiac notch reflects the leftward heart.

High-Yield Pearl

Right lung has 3 lobes, left has 2 (+ lingula) to make room for the heart.

Region: Lining the lungs (visceral) and chest wall (parietal).
Key Structures: Visceral & parietal pleura, the pleural space (normally negative pressure), and the costophrenic recess.
Clinical Correlation: Air in the space → pneumothorax; fluid → effusion (blunts the costophrenic angle). Only parietal pleura is pain-sensitive.

High-Yield Pearl

Pleuritic chest pain comes from the parietal pleura — the visceral layer has no pain fibers.

Region: From the larynx, down the trachea, into both lungs.
Key Structures: Trachea → carina → main bronchi → lobar → segmental bronchi → bronchioles → terminal bronchioles.
Clinical Correlation: The right main bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical, so aspirated material tends to enter it (often the right lower lobe).

High-Yield Pearl

Aspiration goes right — the right main bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical.