Mnemonic

Lung Hilum Structures

A memory aid for the arrangement of structures at the lung root.

Expansion

Pulmonary vein anterior and inferior, pulmonary artery next, bronchus posterior

Expansion

From front to back at both hila:

  1. Pulmonary veins - most anterior, with the inferior vein lowest of all
  2. Pulmonary artery
  3. Bronchus - most posterior

The lung root also contains the bronchial vessels, the pulmonary plexuses of nerves and the bronchopulmonary lymph nodes, all wrapped in a sleeve of pleura that continues below as the pulmonary ligament.

Remember the two nerve relations that go with it: the phrenic nerve passes in front of the root and the vagus passes behind it.