Inferior lobe of left lung
Lobus inferior pulmonis sinistri · Dolní lalok levé plíce
Respiratory system
Looks like
The lower lobe, forming the back and base of each lung, below the oblique fissure and resting on the diaphragm.
What it does
The largest lobe; it receives most of the air and blood flow when upright.
Keeping it well
Pneumonia, aspiration, fluid and early fibrosis show here first. Crackles at the lung bases are what doctors listen for.
Related conditions
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Altitude sickness
- Asbestosis and asbestos-related disease
- Aspergillosis
- Asthma
- Breathing pattern disorder
- Bronchiectasis
- Bronchiolitis & RSV
- COPD
- COVID-19
- Cystic fibrosis
- Drowning
- Echinococcosis (hydatid disease)
- Endemic fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis)
- Hantavirus infection
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Influenza
- Legionnaires' disease
- Leptospirosis (Weil's disease)
- Long COVID (post-viral syndrome)
- Lung abscess
- Lung cancer
- Measles
- Mesothelioma
- Molar pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic disease
- Neonatal sepsis
- Neuroendocrine tumours (carcinoid)
- Pleural effusion
- Pleurisy
- Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP)
- Pneumonia
- Pneumothorax
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary oedema
- Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn
- Sarcoidosis
- SIADH (inappropriate antidiuretic hormone)
- Silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis
- Sudden infant death syndrome
- Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping cough