Posterior Mediastinum Flashcards
Where do the posterior intercostal veins mostly drain to?
Azygos + hemiazygos veins
What vein parallels IVC, turns at the root of the right lung, and drains into SVC?
Azygos vein
What vein runs parallel to the azygos on the left?
Hemiazygos vein (ascending) + accessory hemiazygos (descending) vein
Name lymphatic ducts + corresponding drainage
Right lymphatic duct
- Drains right side of head, neck, upper body + arm
Thoracic duct
- Drains everything else
Where do the right lymphatic + thoracic ducts drain into the venous system?
Junction of subclavian veins + jugular trunks
What drains into the thoracic duct?
Cisterna chyli (level of L1-L2)
Where does the thoracic duct pass from the right side of the body to the left?
T4-T5
Name the different types of lymph nodes that drain the lungs
1) Tracheal
2) Superior tracheobronchial
3) Bronchopulmonary
4) Pulmonary
5) Inferior tracheobronchial
What structures lie behind the pericardium?
- Descending aorta
- Esophagus
- Thoracic duct
- Azygos + hemiazygos/accessory hemiazygos veins
- Sympathetic trunks
Where are the sympathetic chains located?
- On either side of the vertebral column
How are the sympathetic chains connected to the intercostal nerves?
- Receive preganglionic fibres as white rami communicantes
- Postganglionic fibres from the ganglia go back to the intercostal nerves as grey rami communicantes
What are the relations of the trachea and its bifurcation?
- Bifurcates at T4
What does aortic dissection typically present as?
Sudden severe chest or interscapular pain described as tearing or ripping
What past medical history typically contributes to aortic dissection?
History of poorly controlled HTN
How can you classify between Stanford type A and type B aortic dissections?
A - ascending aorta involved
B - ascending aorta NOT involved
