Morphological variation of human lung fissures and lobes: An anatomical cadaveric study in North Karnataka, India

Abstract

Introduction: The lungs are a pair of vital organs of respiration which are divided into lobes by fissures. The fissures facilitate the movements of lobes and help in uniform expansion of the whole lungs. The fissure may be complete, incomplete, or absent. The knowledge of position and completeness of fissures and lobes is necessary for an appreciation of lobar anatomy and thus locating bronchopulmonary segments. Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze the morphology of fissures and lobes of lungs. Materials and Methods: Twenty pairs of lungs were taken for the study, obtained from twenty formalin-fixed cadavers. The specimens were thoroughly observed for the pattern of lobes, fissure variations were noted, and the specimens were photographed. Results: Of the twenty right-sided lungs, incomplete oblique fissure was seen in six (30%) lungs. None of the lungs showed the absence of oblique fissure. Incomplete horizontal fissure was seen in ten (50%) lungs, and horizontal fissure was found absent in four (20%) lungs. Among the twenty lungs, four (20%) lungs showed two lobes due to the absence of horizontal fissure and the remaining 16 (80%) lungs showed normal lobar pattern of lungs. On the left side, incomplete oblique fissure was observed in two (25%) lungs, and two (25%) lungs showed the absence of oblique fissure. Due to the absence of oblique fissure, three (15%) specimens showed only one lobe while 17 (85%) lungs showed normal lobar pattern. There was no incidence of the presence of an accessory fissure in either side of the lungs. Conclusion: The present study when compared with a previous work showed a wide range of difference in the lobes and fissures between and among different populations. Knowledge of such variation may be important for performing lobectomies, surgical resections, and correct interpretation of radiological images.