Bilateral Upper Lobe Bronchi Originating from the Trachea

A 6-DAY-OLD 1,720-g female with multiple congenital anomalies was found to have abnormal bronchial anatomy during otolaryngologic evaluation by rigid bronchoscopy. Computed tomography with three-dimensional maximal intensity projection reconstruction of the chest revealed that the trachea first bifurcated into the bilateral main bronchi that supplied the right and left upper lobes (A). Distal to this bifurcation was a narrow tracheal segment (1  mm in diameter at its narrowest;B) that extended to a second, inferior bifurcation consistent with the true carina (C). This bifurcation led to the left and right middle and inferior lobes.
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research