3.3 Posterior Mediastinum Flashcards
Identify the Esophagus
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Identify the Esophageal plexus and what it innervates.
Innervation on anterior surface of esophagus
Identify the R and L vagus nerves
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Identify the Thoracic duct and its function. Where does it drain?
Largest lymphatic vessel in the body. Drains into junction of the left subclavian vein and left internal jugular vein
Identify the Trachea
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Identify the Carina and its vertebral level.
Location of the trachea’s bifurcation as the left and right main/primary bronchi. This occurs at the T4/5 vertebral level.
Identify the L and R main and primary bronchi
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Identify the Thoracic aorta
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Identify the Posterior intercostal artery. What does it supply?
Intercostal spaces.
Identify the Esophageal arteries
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Identify the Azygos vein. What are its major tributaries and where does it terminate?
Major tributaries include hemiazygous vein, bronchial veins, pericardial veins, and posterior right intercostal veins. Terminates at SVC.
Identify the Posterior intercostal veins. Where do they drain?
Azygous vein.
Identify the Arch of azygos
Region where azygous vein arches around right main bronchus.
Identify the Accessory hemiazygos vein. What are its tributaries? Where and at what level does it terminate?
It receives the posterior intercostal veins from the superior aspect of the posterior thoracic wall on the left
Crosses the midline to join azygous vein around T8.
Identify the Hemiazygos vein. What are its tributaries? Where and at what level does it terminate?
It receives the posterior intercostal veins from the inferior aspect of the posterior thoracic wall on the left.
Crosses the midline to join the azygos vein around T9
Identify the Sympathetic trunk
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Identify the Sympathetic (paravertebral) ganglia
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Identify the Gray and white rami communicants. From where do these branch?
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- Sympathetic efferents (motor inntervation): IML of spinal cord–> anterior root–> anterior ramus00> white rams communicants–> sympathetic trunk.
- From sympathetic trunk, they can go up, down, or stay at that level via gray rami communions. OR, pass thru sympathetic trunk–> thru splanchnic nerves–> synapse in paravertebral ganglia.
Identify the Splanchnic nerves. From what nerve do these branch?
Come out of spinal nerves and travel inferiorly.
Identify the Greater splanchnic nerve.
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T5-T9 and provide autonomic innervation to abdominal viscera
Identify the Intercostal nerves. Describe their course of origin.
A segmentally distributed ventral (anterior) ramus of a spinal nerve.
