Anatomy is critically important when observing or conducting bronchoscopy, but can be difficult to conceptualize. DiMaio and colleages have created a good introductory video orienting junior trainees to this anatomy (DiMaio et al., 2011):
Bronchial Tree: Segmental Anatomy from an Endobronchial View
Khalid Amer, FRCS(C Th), a cardiothoracic surgeon, has created a comprehensive set of lectures aimed at cardiothoracic surgery trainees for bronschoscopy education, but are well suited to medical students, residents and fellows in other fields (Amer, 2019).
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEk4VhdXW2IBk_cZ89Un0sMIMmZy0dezF&si=_IsEZrNNO9hCxq5Q
(Clicking the above video will lead to a the entire playlist.)
In addition, we include two diagrams here, one from Olympus, using images from Prof. Dr. Ralf Eberhardt, MD, PhD (Eberhardt, n.d.). A link to download the PDF is also below.
We also like this image here, from a paper by Campos, which is a bit more contained (Campos 2019).
Understanding lymph node anatomy is crucial for pulmonologists as it plays a vital role in staging lung cancer, diagnosing lymphoma, and evaluating various inflammatory and infectious conditions. The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) lymph node map provides a standardized system for describing lymph node locations in the chest, which is essential for accurate diagnosis, proper staging of malignancies, and determining appropriate treatment strategies. This knowledge is particularly important during procedures like endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), where precise identification of lymph node stations guides sampling and helps determine the extent of disease spread.
