Right lung — inferior lobe

Function

The right lung's largest lobe fills the lower posterolateral chest behind and below the oblique fissure. Five segments (apical basal, medial, anterior, lateral and posterior basal) dominate the upright lung's perfusion — gravity pulls the blood here.

The posterior basal segment, dependent and poorly drained, is where aspiration and infarcts settle; the diaphragm's dome indents its base.

Blood supply

Right pulmonary artery's lower branches.

Nerve supply

Right pulmonary plexus.

Clinical relevance

Basal pneumonia

Aspiration in the upright position most often involves the basal segments of the right lower lobe.

Pulmonary embolism

Clots ride the arterial tree to the lower lobes' basal segments; wedge-shaped infarcts mark the perfusion scan.

Related conditions

• Pneumonia
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Pleural effusion
• Mesothelioma
• COVID-19
• Pulmonary embolism