Pleurae and Pleural Cavities

Question 1

What type of pleura lines the inner surface of the thorax?

Answer 1

Parietal pleura

Question 2

What are the three smaller cavities the thoracic cavity is subdivided into?

Answer 2

2 pleural cavities and mediastinum

Question 3

What type of pleura intimately invests in the lung?

Answer 3

visceral pleura

Question 4

What is a potential space between the parietal and visceral pleurae?

Answer 4

pleural cavity

Question 5

What lubricates the pleurae to minimize friction between the parietal and visceral layers, and facilitates movement of the lungs?

Answer 5

pleural fluid (serous)

Question 6

What are the parts of the parietal pleura?

Answer 6

costal, mediastinal, diaphragmatic, and cervical

Question 7

What is the space formed where the costal and diaphragmatic pleurae meet?

Answer 7

costodiaphragmatic recess

Question 8

What is the space formed where the costal and medialstinal pleurae meet?

Answer 8

costomediastinal recess

Question 9

When fluid accumulates in the costodiaphragmatic recess, how is it removed?

Answer 9

thoracentesis, at upper border of intercostal space 9 during expiration

Question 10

What supplies the parietal pleura with blood?

Answer 10

intercostal arteries, internal thoracic artery, and superior phrenic artery

Question 11

What does visceral pleura get its blood supply from?

Answer 11

bronchial artery

Question 12

What does parietal pleura get its nerve supply from?

Answer 12

intercostal, subcostal, and phrenic nerves

highly sensitive to pain!

Question 13

What does visceral pleura get its nerve supply from?

Answer 13

no where! insensitive to pain

Question 14

What is pneumothorax?

Answer 14

pleural cavity fills with air

Question 15

What are the causes of pneumothorax?

Answer 15

trauma (sucking chest wound), disease, and congenital weak spots

Question 16

How is tension pneumothorax different from pneumothorax?

Answer 16

instead of a hole that allows air into cavity, a flap is present on visceral pleura

Question 17

What does the pleura do during tension pneumothorax?

Answer 17

inflates like an innertube, pushing mediastinum to opposite side and compressing other lung

Question 18

What is hemothorax?

Answer 18

pleural cavity fills with blood

Question 19

What is it called when the pleural cavity fills with both blood and air simultaneously?

Answer 19

hemopneumothorax

Question 20

What is it called when there is an inflammation of pleura which leads to adhesions between parietal and visceral pleura?

Answer 20

Pleuritis

Question 21

What nerves and areas are associated with pleuritis?

Answer 21

the phrenic nerve (C3,4,5) to the shoulder and the supraclavicular nerve (C3,4)

Question 22

Sound known as pleural friction rub that can be heard by auscultation is cause by what?

Answer 22

Pleuritis

Question 23

What does the mediastinum not contain in the thorax?

Answer 23

lungs and pleurae

Question 24

Where does the mediastinum divide into the superior and inferior subdivisions?

Answer 24

thoracic vertebrae 4 and 5

Question 25

Why is the sternal angle an important landmark?

Answer 25

boundary between superior/inferior mediastinum, articulation of the second rib with the sternum, aortic arch, bifurcation of the trachea into the left and right main bronchi, and upper border of the pulmonary trunk

Question 26

What are the contents of the superior mediastinum?

Answer 26

superior vena cava, brachiocephalic veins, arch of the aorta, thoracic duct, trachea, esophagus, thymus, vagus nerve, left recurrent laryngeal nerve, and phrenic nerve

Question 27

What are the subdivisions of the inferior mediastinum?

Answer 27

anterior, middle, and posterior mediastinum

Question 28

What are the contents of the anterior mediastinum?

Answer 28

thymus, lymph nodes, and sternopericardial ligaments

Question 29

What are the contents of the middle mediastinum?

Answer 29

heart, pericardium, roots of the great vessels, main bronchi, and phrenic nerve

Question 30

What are the contents of the posterior mediastinum?

Answer 30

esophagus, thoracic aorta, azygos vein, hemiazygos vein, thoracic duct, vagus nerve, and splanchnic nerves (from sympathetic trunk)