What is the lingula in the lungs?
Daniel Hoffman
Published Jun 19, 2026
What is the lingula in the lungs?
The term lingula refers to the tip or tongue-like projection of the upper lobe of the left lung but in general it is considered also to be the entire portion of this segment which is supplied by the first segmental bronchus that arises from the upper lobe bronchus.
Where is the lingula on CT?
Its position in the left chest is similar to that of the middle lobe in the right chest. Generally, the lingula is supplied by the first branch of the upper lobe bronchus, which bifurcates into two divisions.
What does Lingular mean?
: a tongue-shaped process or part: as. a : a ridge of bone in the angle between the body and the greater wing of the sphenoid. b : an elongated prominence of the superior vermis of the cerebellum. c : a dependent projection of the upper lobe of the left lung.
Is there a lingula in the right lung?
The lingula is not formally considered to be a lobe. It is a small, tongue-like projection of the left lung that is analogous to the middle lobe of the right lung. It contains superior and inferior bronchopulmonary segments.
What are Lingular bronchi?
Description. The left lung, unlike the right does not have a middle lobe. However the term lingula is used to denote a projection of the upper lobe of the left lung that serves as the homologue. This area of the left lobe – the lingula, means little tongue (in Latin) and is often referred to as the tongue in the lung.
What is Lingular segment of left upper lobe?
The left upper lobe superior lingular segment is one of the four bronchopulmonary segments of the left upper lobe. It lies below the apicoposterior and anterior segments of the left upper lobe.
Why does the left lung have a lingula?
The left lung, unlike the right does not have a middle lobe. However the term lingula is used to denote a projection of the upper lobe of the left lung that serves as the homologue. It is thought that the lingula of the left lung is the remnant of the middle lobe, which has been lost through evolution.
What is Lingular lobe?
The left lung, unlike the right does not have a middle lobe. However the term lingula is used to denote a projection of the upper lobe of the left lung that serves as the homologue. This area of the left lobe – the lingula, means little tongue (in Latin) and is often referred to as the tongue in the lung.
Where is the superior lingula?