Pulmonary artery

Pulmonary artery

Artery: Pulmonary artery
Anterior (frontal) view of the opened heart. White arrows indicate normal blood flow. (Pulmonary artery labeled at upper right.)
Diagram of the alveoli with both cross-section and external view.
Latin	truncus pulmonalis, arteria pulmonalis
Gray's	subject #141 543
Source	right ventricle
Vein	pulmonary vein
Precursor	truncus arteriosus
MeSH	Pulmonary+Artery

The pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries (other than umbilical arteries in the fetus) that carry deoxygenated blood.

In the human heart, the pulmonary trunk (pulmonary artery or main pulmonary artery) begins at the base of the right ventricle. It is short and wide - approximately 5 cm (2 inches) in length and 3 cm (1.2 inches) in diameter. It then branches into two pulmonary arteries (left and right), which deliver de-oxygenated blood to the corresponding lung.

In contrast to the pulmonary arteries, the bronchial arteries supply mainly nutrition to the lungs themselves.

Role in disease

Pulmonary hypertension occurs alone and as a consequence of a number of lung diseases. It can also be a consequence of heart disease (Eisenmenger's syndrome) but equally a cause (right-ventricular heart failure); it also occurs as a consequence of pulmonary embolism and scleroderma. It is characterised by reduced exercise tolerance. Severe forms, generally, have a dismal prognosis.

Additional images

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  Bronchial anatomy

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  Image showing main pulmonary artery coursing ventrally to the aortic root and trachea, and the right pulmonary artery passes dorsally to the ascending aorta, while the left pulmonary artery passes ventrally to the descending aorta.

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  Bronchi, bronchial tree, and lungs

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  Pulmonary circuit

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  Alveolus diagram

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  Anatomy of lungs.

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  Front view of heart and lungs.

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  Transverse section of thorax, showing relations of pulmonary artery.

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  Base and diaphragmatic surface of heart.

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  The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind.Crystal.

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  Pulmonary artery

See also

• Chronic obstructive lung disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Thromboembolic disease
• Pulmonary circulation
• Rasmussen's aneurysm

External links

• 53805116 at GPnotebook
• pulmonary+trunk at eMedicine Dictionary
• SUNY Labs 20:01-0106 - "Heart: The Pericardial sac and Great vessels"
• SUNY Labs 20:07-0105 - "Heart: Openings of Great Vessels into the Pericardial Sac"
• SUNY Figs 19:05-06 - "Mediastinal surface of the right lung."
• SUNY Figs 19:06-02 - "Mediastinal surface of the left lung."
• Histology at BU 13802loa

v · d · eCirculatory system: Arteries and veins (TA A12.0, TH H3.09.02, GA 6.543/GA 7.641)
Systemic circulation	(Left heart) → Aorta → Arteries → Arterioles → Capillaries → Venules → Veins → Vena cava → (Right heart)
Pulmonary circulation	(Right heart) → Pulmonary arteries → (Lungs) → Pulmonary vein → (Left heart)
Blood vessels	Endothelium · Tunica intima · Tunica media · Tunica externa Vasa vasorum · Vasa nervorum Rete mirabile · Circulatory anastomosis
Arteries	Nutrient artery · Arteriole
Veins	Vena comitans · Superficial vein · Deep vein · Emissary veins · Venous plexus · Venule
Lymphatic	Lymphatic vessel · Lymph · Lymph capillary
M: VAS anat(a:h/u/t/a/l,v:h/u/t/a/l)/phys/devp/cell/prot noco/syva/cong/lyvd/tumr, sysi/epon, injr proc, drug(C2s+n/3/4/5/7/8/9)

v · d · eList of arteries of torso · chest (TA A12.2.01–04,11, GA 6.598)
Pulmonary	Right pulmonary artery · Left pulmonary artery (Ligamentum arteriosum)
Coronary	Right coronary: SA nodal · AV nodal · Atrial · Right marginal · Posterior interventricular Left coronary: Anterior interventricular · Left circumflex (Left marginal)
Ascending aorta/ aortic arch	Brachiocephalic Thyreoidea ima · Right subclavian · Right common carotid Left common carotid External carotid · Internal carotid Carotid body · Carotid sinus · Carotid bifurcation Left subclavian Internal thoracic: Anterior intercostal · Thymic · Pericardiacophrenic · Perforating branches · terminal (Musculophrenic, superior epigastric) Costocervical trunk: Highest intercostal (Posterior intercostal 1–2) · Deep cervical Other Aortic body
Descending/ thoracic aorta	visceral: Bronchial · Esophageal · Mediastinal parietal: Posterior intercostal 3·11 · Subcostal · Superior phrenic
M: VAS anat(a:h/u/t/a/l,v:h/u/t/a/l)/phys/devp/cell/prot noco/syva/cong/lyvd/tumr, sysi/epon, injr proc, drug(C2s+n/3/4/5/7/8/9)

Categories:

• Arteries of the thorax

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Look at other dictionaries:

• pulmonary artery — n an arterial trunk or either of its two main branches that carry oxygen deficient blood to the lungs: a) a large arterial trunk that arises from the conus arteriosus of the right ventricle, ascends in front of the aorta, and branches into the… …   Medical dictionary

• Pulmonary artery — Pulmonary Pul mo*na*ry, a. [L. pulmonarius, from pulmo, onis, a lung; of uncertain origin, perh. named from its lightness, and akin to E. float: cf. F. pulmonaire. Cf. {Pneumonia}.] Of or pertaining to the lungs; affecting the lungs; pulmonic.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• pulmonary artery — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms pulmonary artery : singular pulmonary artery plural pulmonary arteries medical one of two arteries (= tubes) that carry blood from the right ventricle of your heart to your lungs …   English dictionary

• pulmonary artery — the artery that conveys blood from the heart to the lungs for oxygenation: the only artery in the body containing deoxygenated blood. It leaves the right ventricle and passes upwards for 5 cm before dividing into two, one branch going to each… …   The new mediacal dictionary

• Pulmonary artery pressure — (PA pressure) is a measure of the blood pressure found in the pulmonary artery. Mean pulmonary arterial pressure is normally 9 18 mmHg.[1] Site Normal pressure range (in mmHg)[2] Central venous pressure 3–8 Right ventricular pressure systolic …   Wikipedia

• Pulmonary artery catheter — In medicine pulmonary artery catheterization (PAC) is the insertion of a catheter into a pulmonary artery. Its purpose is diagnostic; it is used to detect heart failure or sepsis, monitor therapy, and evaluate the effects of drugs. The pulmonary… …   Wikipedia

• Pulmonary artery sling — Infobox Disease Name = Pulmonary artery sling Caption = DiseasesDB = 30767 ICD10 = ICD9 = ICDO = OMIM = MedlinePlus = eMedicineSubj = ped eMedicineTopic = 2525 MeshID = Pulmonary artery sling is a rare condition in which the left pulmonary artery …   Wikipedia

• pulmonary artery sling — a rare cardiac anomaly in which the left pulmonary artery arises aberrantly from the right pulmonary artery and lies between the trachea and esophagus; it is frequently characterized by respiratory obstruction. See also pulmonary sling syndrome,… …   Medical dictionary

• pulmonary artery banding — an operation to provide constriction of the pulmonary artery with a band to reduce pulmonary blood flow and relieve congestive heart failure in children with congenital heart defects that produce left to right shunts between ventricles or the… …   Medical dictionary

• pulmonary artery catheter — any of various cardiac catheters for measuring pulmonary arterial pressures, introduced into the venous system through a large vein and guided by blood flow into the superior vena cava, the right atrium and ventricle, and into the pulmonary… …   Medical dictionary