Pulmonary veins are the only veins in the adult human body, which contain a higher percentage of oxygenation of blood than their arterial counterpart, the pulmonary arteries. All other veins carry oxygen-poor blood.
Pulmonary veins are located between lungs and the heart. Pulmonary veins play an important role in respiration by receiving oxygenated blood in the alveoli and draining it into the left atrium.
Many smaller blood vessels converge in each of lungs (right and left) to form a pair of pulmonary veins. Each pair leaves its respective lung through a spot known as the hilum, or root. From there, pulmonary veins travel to the heart and connect with left atrium.
The pulmonary veins can become distended in congestive heart failure (left-sided heart failure), resulting in pulmonary edema. Damage to the pulmonary veins epithelial lining can cause pleural effusions as well.
There are typically four pulmonary veins, two draining each lung:
*Right superior: drains the right upper and middle lobes
*Right inferior: drains the right lower lobe
*Left superior: drains the left upper lobe
*Left inferior: drains the left lower lobe
Pulmonary veins
