Pain from the lungs and bronchi is often referred to which structures?

• A. Face and sinuses
• B. Lower limbs
• C. Upper abdomen, mid/low thoracic spine
• D. Pelvis

Answer: (C)

Pain from the lungs and bronchi is often referred to somatic areas that share the same thoracic nerve inputs. The sensory fibers from these thoracic structures enter the spinal cord around the thoracic levels, so the brain can interpret the signal as coming from the chest wall and upper abdomen areas served by those same segments. That’s why pain is often felt in the upper abdomen and along the mid to lower thoracic spine, rather than in areas like the face, legs, or pelvis. The other regions are supplied by different nerve pathways, so they’re less likely sites for referred lung pain.