Abstract

Background: The lungs are the essential organs of respiration which are divided into lobes and fissures. Fissures help in a more uniform expansion of lungs. Knowledge about the fissures is helpful in appreciation of lobar anatomy and for locating bronchopulmonary segments and it is important for anatomists, pediatrician, radiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and also for clinicians. Materials and methods: 50 spontaneously aborted fetuses were collected from labour room of Obstretrics and Gynaecology Department of PSG Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, Coimbatore and the study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy. The morphological details of fissures and lobes of the lungs and presence of any variation in the fissures and accessory fissure were studied. Results: Out of 50 specimens in the age group of 10 weeks to 39 weeks of gestation, the horizontal fissure was incomplete in 35 fetuses (68%), complete in 14 fetuses (28%), absent in 1 fetus (2%) and accessory fissure was found in 1 fetus (2%). Conclusion: Awareness of the variations in the lobes and fissures of the lungs is important for radiologists for proper diagnosis and to surgeons for performing segmental lung resections.

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