Identification of lobar fissures in pathological lungs

Morphological Variation of Fissure and Lobe of the Left Lung: A Case Report

The left lung usually has an oblique fissure that divides it into superior and inferior lobes. Some variants in the lobar fissure are well known, but the knowledge of certain uncommon variants will enhance our anatomical understanding and proper identification of the bronchopulmonary segments. Several imaging techniques have been used to describe anatomical variations of the lung, but studies that utilize dissections as tools for understanding lobar variations were limited. In this report, we described an incomplete horizontal fissure, bifurcated accessory fissure, incomplete superior and middle lobes, and fibrous condensation of the left lung pulmonary pleura observed during dissection. The knowledge of these anatomical variations will be useful in surgical segmental resection and lobectomy, and for accurate interpretations of medical diagnostic images.