Prevalence of incomplete interlobar fissures of the lung

Abstract

Background. Some patients benefit from accurate integrity assessment of pulmonary fissures. There are a number of methods for the assessment of incomplete interlobar fissures: imaging techniques, endobronchial methods measuring collateral air flow, a perioperative view, and autopsies used in research into pulmonary anatomy. Methods and Results. We performed a computerized advanced search for primary evidence in the PubMed (Public/ Publisher MEDLINE) and Google Scholar electronic databases using the following terms: incomplete and fissure. The search was not restricted to the English literature, nor limited by publication time. The bibliographic search was then extended to the “Related Articles” links and to the list of literature references of each article. Conclusion. Publications have consistently shown that interlobar fissures exhibit high variability and that preoperative or at least detailed perioperative assessment can influence the effect of treatment.