The porcine bronchial artery. Anastomoses with oesophageal, coronary and intercostal arteries

Information abut the existence and anatomy of arterial anastomoses with the porcine bronchial artery is lacking in the literature. Prior to basic phys iological investigations in a porcine model related to lung transplantation with bronchial artery revascularisation, this study was designed to examin e the anatomy of systemic arterial anastomoses with the bronchial artery sy stem. Twenty pigs were studied in 3 groups. In 2 groups the heart-lung bloc k was removed with all mediastinal structures. One group served for investi gation of coronary-bronchial artery anastomoses and one for investigation o f oesophageal-bronchial artery anastomoses. The systemic arteries to be exa mined were cannulated. The inflated heart-lung block was examined macroscop ically with Evans blue, and radiographically after contrast injection. In t he 3rd group intercostobronchial artery anastomoses were studied radiograph ically with the heart-lung block in situ. Coronary-bronchial artery anastom oses were demonstrated in 3 of the 5 pigs with an aortic 'pouch' technique, but contrast was very limited in 2 of these 3. Oesophageal arterial anasto moses with bronchial arterial branches and/or the pulmonary veins were demo nstrated in 6 of the 7 pigs and more markedly than the coronary-bronchial a nastomoses. Intercostobronchial artery anastomoses could not be demonstrate d angiograghically. It was concluded that the existence of coronary-bronchi al and oesophageal-bronchial artery anastomoses in the pig appear to establ ish an arterial net between the base of the heart and the distal oesophagus . The resemblance to human oesophageal-bronchial artery anastomoses support s use of a porcine model for experimental studies.