## Hilum Anatomy: Anteroposterior Arrangement at the Right Lung Hilum ### Classic Anatomical Arrangement At the right lung hilum, the **anteroposterior (front-to-back)** arrangement of structures is: **Pulmonary Vein → Pulmonary Artery → Main Bronchus** This is the standard teaching from Gray's Anatomy and Snell's Clinical Anatomy. ### Anteroposterior Sequence (Right Side) | Position | Structure | Notes | |----------|-----------|-------| | **Most Anterior** | Pulmonary Vein | Lies in front of the artery | | **Middle** | Pulmonary Artery | Lies between vein and bronchus | | **Most Posterior** | Main Bronchus | Lies posteriorly at the hilum | **Key Point:** The mnemonic **"VAB"** (Vein → Artery → Bronchus) from anterior to posterior helps recall the right hilum arrangement. ### Distinguishing Anteroposterior vs. Superoinferior - **Anteroposterior plane:** Vein (anterior) → Artery (middle) → Bronchus (posterior) — **VAB** - **Superoinferior plane:** Artery (superior) → Bronchus (middle) → Vein (inferior) — **ABV** A common source of confusion is conflating the superoinferior arrangement (Artery-Bronchus-Vein, which is correct for the vertical/coronal plane) with the anteroposterior arrangement (Vein-Artery-Bronchus, correct for the sagittal plane). This question specifically asks about **anteroposterior**, so the answer is **Vein, Artery, Bronchus**. **High-Yield:** On CT cross-sections of the right hilum, the pulmonary vein is seen most anteriorly, the pulmonary artery is intermediate, and the bronchus is most posterior — a pattern used by radiologists to identify hilar structures. **Clinical Pearl:** During right pneumonectomy, the surgeon encounters the pulmonary vein first (anteriorly), then the pulmonary artery, and finally the bronchus posteriorly — consistent with the VAB anteroposterior sequence. [cite: Standring S. Gray's Anatomy, 42nd ed., Chapter on Thorax; Snell RS. Clinical Anatomy by Regions, 9th ed.] 
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