Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)
Inferior lobe of left lung
Lobus inferior pulmonis sinistri
- Origin
- Extends from below the oblique fissure (T3-T4 spine posteriorly) to the base of the lung
- Insertion
- Rests on the left hemidiaphragm and occupies the costodiaphragmatic recess
- Function
- Carries out the majority of dependent alveolar gas exchange and ventilation in the left lung
- Innervation
- Pulmonary plexus
- Movement & chain
- Marked craniocaudal excursion (4-6 cm) driven by diaphragmatic contraction
- Palpation
- Auscultated and percussed posteriorly and laterally over the left hemithorax (T4 to T10/11)
- Clinical
- Basal pneumonia, dependent atelectasis, pleural effusion pooling in the costodiaphragmatic angle, pulmonary embolism.
- Segmental innervation
- T2-T5 visceral segments (diaphragmatic pleura C3-C5)
- In clinical practice
- Posterior lung field auscultation, identifying stony dullness in pleural effusion, thoracentesis positioning and monitoring
- Region in the model
- Viscera (heart, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract)