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Morphometric Analyses Reveal Airway Branching Variations in Human Lungs

Human airways are recognized for their complex structure and function. Anatomical knowledge is essential for understanding normal lung function, pathogenesis of lung disease, and advancing pulmonary medical techniques. Previous studies have utilized computational algorithms to study airways in living patients or have utilized CT imaging. However, these studies are limited by their inability to account for anatomic variation. Here we report a cadaveric‐based morphometric survey of airway branching variations through a series of dissections. Thirty‐nine lungs were harvested from embalmed cadavers (aged 44‐94, average 73). Airway segments were identified and observed for anomalous branching patterns, orientations, presence and/or absence of normal and extra segments. Gross features of the left lungs (554gm±201.8) were: lateral height of 22.0cm (±3.2) and medial height of 18.7cm (±2.7). Rights lungs (648gm± 159.8) had mean lateral height of 22.0 cm (±3.0) and a medial height of 17.7cm (± 3.3). Overall, the left lungs exhibited a greater frequency of branching variations as compared to the right (59% of total). Most variations were observed in the middle regions of the lungs (middle lobes of right lungs, lingular regions of left, and the anterior regions of both inferior lobes). Ongoing studies will determine branching angles and seek to describe additional anatomical trends. To conclude, our data reveals trends in airway branching variations that are critical to understanding the complexities of the lungs in health and disease, and may be useful in revealing relationships between anatomy and pathology.