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Aim: The present study was taken up to study variations in fissures and lobes of lung and to assess their clinical and surgical importance.
Materials and Methods: Thirty lungs were obtained from formalin fixed cadavers and the lobes and fissures were studied. Any variations were photographed and noted. These were then classified using Craig and Walker classification of lung fissures.
Results: The right lung showed incomplete oblique fissure in five lungs (16.6%). The horizontal fissure was incomplete in two right lungs (6.6%) and it was absent in four right lungs (13.3%). The left lung showed incomplete oblique fissure in one lung (3.3%). No other variations were observed in the left lungs studied. No accessory fissures of either right or left lungs were observed.
Conclusion: Lungs develop by division and re-division of lung buds arising from endodermal foregut. Defective development from the lung buds will give rise to variations such as incomplete or absence of fissures of right or left lung. The structure of the fissure is of importance while planning operative steps in thoracoscopic pulmonary resection. An incomplete fissure could cause postoperative air leakage in case of lung lobectomy. They can also allow spread of disease within the lung tissue that would otherwise be separated due to presence of the complete fissure.
