Abnormal branching of the left lingular pulmonary artery diagnosed by three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography in a patient with lung cancer: a case report

BACKGROUND: In general, there are several anomalies of the pulmonary artery. The mediastinal lingular pulmonary artery is well-known for its abnormal branching from the pulmonary artery. However, other types of variation are rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report the case of a patient with primary lung cancer who underwent left upper lobectomy in which the lingular pulmonary artery branching from the mediastinal basal artery was demonstrated by preoperative three-dimensional computed tomographic (3D-CT) angiography. CONCLUSIONS: A preoperative evaluation using 3D-CT angiography was useful for detecting the abnormal pulmonary branching in this patient because it allowed for the precise division of the pulmonary arteries during surgery.