Longslagader

Longslagader, commonly known in English as the pulmonary artery, is a major vessel of the heart that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs as part of the pulmonary circulation. The main artery leaves the right ventricle as the pulmonary trunk and soon divides into the left and right pulmonary arteries, which enter the respective lungs and branch to supply the pulmonary lobes.

The walls of the pulmonary arteries are relatively thin and less muscular than those of systemic arteries, reflecting the low-pressure nature of the pulmonary circulation. The arteries transport blood to lung capillaries, where gas exchange occurs. Oxygenated blood then returns to the left atrium via the pulmonary veins.

Clinical significance: Disorders of the longslagader include pulmonary arterial hypertension, which can thicken or stiffen the vessel walls, and pulmonary embolism, where a clot blocks flow in the pulmonary arteries. Congenital abnormalities can affect their origin or branching, such as persistent truncus arteriosus. Diagnostic approaches include echocardiography and CT pulmonary angiography, while treatment depends on the underlying condition and may involve medications, procedures, or surgery.

Etymology: the term longslagader is used in Dutch-language medical contexts; in English the vessel is called the pulmonary artery.