Generality
The pulmonary hilum is a depressed area of triangular shape present in both lungs, which serves to introduce in and out of these latter structures such as the main bronchi, arteries and pulmonary veins, arteries and bronchial veins, the nerves of the lung plexuses and the lymphatic vessels.
Each pulmonary hilum takes place on the medial and mediastinal portion of the lung to which it belongs; here, the pleura is in continuity with its two sheets (the visceral and the parietal) and flows into a structure called the pulmonary ligament.
In addition to guaranteeing the passage to the structures indicated above, the lung hilum has the task of connecting, through an anatomical element called the lung root, each lung to the heart and trachea.
What is the Pulmonary Ill?
The pulmonary hilum, or hilum of the lung, is the cavity present in each of the two lungs, which serves to enter and exit the organs in question of very important anatomical elements, such as bronchi, arteries and pulmonary veins, arteries and bronchial veins, nerves of the pulmonary plexuses and lymphatic vessels of these districts of the body, and to house the bronchopulmonary lymph nodes .
In light of the fact that the aforementioned anatomical elements (bronchi, pulmonary arteries and veins, arteries and bronchial veins etc.) are the components of the so-called pulmonary roots (or lung roots ); the lung hilum can also be defined as the point of connection between each lung and the corresponding pulmonary root.
The lung hilum is an equal structure of the human body, as it is present, in single copy, on each lung.
Lung roots: what are they?
To fully understand what the hilum is, it is necessary to dedicate some lines to what the pulmonary roots are.
Enclosed by a sheet of pleura and located between the V and the VII thoracic vertebra, the pulmonary root is that part of the lung that, with the help of the pulmonary hilum (which still in fact makes its numerous components), puts into communication the heart and trachea with the lung itself.
As anticipated, each lung root is made up of: a main bronchus, pulmonary arteries and veins, arteries and bronchial veins, pulmonary plexus nerves, a series of lymphatic vessels, bronchopulmonary lymph nodes and areolar tissue.
Clarification
Given the close relationship between them, the pulmonary hilum and pulmonary root are often described as a single entity and not as two distinct anatomical elements.
Anatomy
Most human anatomy manuals describe the pulmonary hilum as a cavity or depressed triangular area, located on the medial and mediastinal portion of each lung.
What is the mediastinum?
The mediastinum (from which the adjective "mediastinal" derives) is the median space of the thoracic cavity between the lungs and which includes: the heart and the pericardium that surrounds it, the esophagus, the thymus, most of the trachea, the main bronchi, thoracic duct, various nerves, aorta and other minor blood vessels.
Seat of the Pulmonary UI: a few more details
Each pulmonary hilum takes place on the front face of the lung to which it belongs, near the medial border of the latter, in an area called the cardiac imprint .
The cardiac imprint is the physiological concavity present in each lung, which serves to receive the pericardium and to guarantee the right space for the heart, an organ that is located almost at the center of the two lungs (it has a slight shift to the left).
Right Pulmonary Ilo
With a triangular shape less pronounced than the left pulmonary hilum, the right pulmonary hilum (or right lung pulmonary hilum ) is the pulmonary hilum which is located on the right lung.
Being on the right lung, the right pulmonary hilum is therefore related to: the right main bronchus, the right pulmonary artery, the two right pulmonary veins, the right arteries and bronchial veins, the right pulmonary plexus nerves, the vessels right lymphatics of the anatomical district in question and the right bronchopulmonary lymph nodes.
Left Pulmonary Ilo
Triangular in shape and almost reminiscent of a club with the handle facing downwards, the left pulmonary hilum (or left pulmonary hilum ) is the pulmonary hilum which takes place on the left lung.
Being on the left lung, the left pulmonary hilum is therefore related to: the left main bronchus, the left pulmonary artery, the two left pulmonary veins, the left arteries and bronchial veins, the left pulmonary plexus nerves, the vessels left lymphatics of the anatomical region in question and the left bronchopulmonary lymph nodes.
Pulmonary ilo and Pleura
The lung hilum is an important anatomical element in the description of the pleura, which is the double-leafed membrane that wraps the lungs and separates them from the rib cage. At the level of the lung hilum, in fact, the pleura has an unusual continuity between the visceral (which covers the lungs) and parietal (which internally covers the thoracic cage) sheets, and flows into a structure that takes the name of pulmonary ligament .
Function
Pulmonary hilum functions are a topic already discussed in this article; however, it is still worth making a review in order to further fix some concepts.
The lung hilum is, for each lung, the structure that serves to:
- Ensure the entry and exit of blood vessels (pulmonary arteries and veins, and bronchial arteries and veins), nerves, lymphatic vessels and respiratory tracts (main bronchi), which play a fundamental role in terms of survival and good lung health;
- Hosting bronchopulmonary lymph nodes;
- Connect each lung to the heart and trachea through the corresponding lung root. With this latter function, the lung hilum inspires access to the lungs to blood and air.
