left pulmonary artery definition

<artery>

<anatomy> The shorter of the two terminal branches of the pulmonary trunk, it pierces the pericardium to enter the hilum of the left lung. Its branches accompany the segmental and subsegmental bronchi. Branches to the superior lobe (rami lobi superioris ) are apical (ramus apicalis ), anterior ascending (ramus anterior ascendens ), anterior descending (ramus anterior descendens ), posterior (ramus posterior ), and lingular (ramus lingularis ), the last having inferior and superior branches (rami lingulares inferior et superior ). Branches to the inferior lobe (rami lobi inferioris ) are the superior branch of the inferior lobe (ramus superior lobi inferior ) and the medial (medialis), anterior, lateral (lateralis) and posterior basal branches (rami basalis ).

Synonyms: arteria pulmonalis sinistra.

(05 Mar 2000)