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The pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood.
In the human heart, the pulmonary trunk begins at the base of the
right ventricle. It is short and wide- approximately 2 inches (5 cm)
in length and 1.2 inches (3 cm) in diameter. It then branches into two pulmonary arteries, which connect to the base of each
lung.
Role in disease
Pulmonary hypertension occurs alone and as a
consequence of a number of lung diseases. It can be a consequence of heart disease (Eisenmenger's
syndrome) but equally a cause (right-ventricular heart failure); it
also occurs as a consequence of pulmonary embolism and scleroderma. It is characterised by reduced exercise tolerance. Severe forms have a
dismal prognosis.
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