Posterior Thoracic Wall Flashcards
The posterior intercostal veins drain blood from the […] into the […].
Inner chest wall and diaphragm
Azygous vein
The anterior and posterior esophageal plexi only contain innervation from the […] nervous system.
Parasympathetic
The greater splanchnic nerve arises from what spinal levels?
T5 - T9
The azygous vein arches before draining into the SVC b/c blood in SVC is flowing inferiorly. If the Azygous vein just dumped directly into the SVC without changing its course of flow, it would cause turbulent flow. Thus, arches to direct flow in same direction as blood already in SVC.
On the right side of the posterior thoracic wall, the […] vein returns blood back to the SVC at the level of […] of the vertebral column.
Azygous vein
T4 (sternal angle)
What is the relationship of the esophagus to the left atrium?
The left atrium sits just anterior to the esophagus. If a person has an enlarged LA they can present with dysphagia (difficulty swallowing).
In addition to providing parasympathetic innervation to the heart, what other information does the cardiac parasympathetic nerve carry?
Visceral sensation from visceral pericardium
Anterior intercostal veins drain into the […]
Internal thoracic veins
The posterior intercostal arteries are branches of the […]
Thoracic aorta
Where (roughly) in the thorax was this image taken?
Higher up in chest
Above sternal angle (can see bit of clavicle)
Trachea is visible
Aorta is one structure (arch)
The esophageal arteries that supply blood to the esophagus are branches of the […]
Thoracic aorta
In addition to providing parasympathetic innervation to the lungs, what other information does the pulmonary parasympathetic nerve carry?
Visceral sensation from the visceral pleura
This image shows the left side of the body.
The […] vagus nerve becomes the anterior esophageal plexus while the […] vagus nerve becomes the posterior esophageal plexus.
Left
Right
LARP
The right and left vagus nerves carry what kind of information?
Parasympathetic
The posterior intercostal arteries are branches off of the […] and they supply the […]
Descending thoracic artery
Posterior chest wall
If you were a drop of blood in the abdominal wall veins, describe the course you’d take to get back to the right atrium.
The superior phrenic artery is a branch off of the […] and it supplies the […]
Descending thoracic aorta
Diaphragm
Posterior intercostal arteries drain into the […]
Azgous, hemiazygous or accessory hemiazygous veins
What two structures make up the SVC?
Left and right brachiocephalic veins
Parasympathetic innervation to the heart and lungs comes off the […] nerve
Left recurrent laryngeal
If looking at the thorax from the following views, what would been seen from right to left:
- Posteriorly
- Inferiorly
- Anteriorly
The left and right recurrent laryngeal nerves carry what kind of information?
Somatic motor to muscles of larynx and pharynx
Describe the course of lymphatics in the thorax.
Lymph collects in the cysterna chyli and is moved superiorly into the thoracic duct which then drains into the left braciocephalic vein. The right head, neck, thorax and arm drain into the right lymphatic duct which then drains into right brachiocephalic vein.
What is the significance of esophageal constrictions?
- If an object is swallowed, it is most likely to get stuck in one of these locations
- Corrosive substances swallowed do most damage here
- Instruments that are used in medicine can have difficulty moving past these areas
Where is the middle esophageal constriction roughly located?
Just above sternal angle
The esophagus passes through the […] hiatus of the diaphragm at the level of […] of the vertebral column.
Esophageal
T10
The phrenic nerve travels with the […] in the chest and carries what types of information?
Pericardium
Motor to diaphragm and sensory info also
The intercostal nerves are […] rami of […] nerves at levels […] of the spinal cord. They carry […] information to the […]
Ventral
Spinal
T1 - T12
Somatic motor and sensory
Thoracic wall
The IVC passes through the […] of the diaphragm at the level of […] of the vertebral column
Caval hiatus
T8
The aorta passes through the […] hiatus at the level of […] of the vertebral column.
Aortic
T12
The anterior intercostal arteries are branches of the […]
Interal thoracic arteries
Where in the thorax is this image taken (roughly)?
- Below bifurcation of trachea into left and right mainstem bronchi (don’t see trachea)
- Below aortic arch (can see ascending and descending aorta)
The anterior intercostal arteries are branches off of the […] artery and they supply the […].
Internal thoracic (which is branch of left subclavian)
Anterior chest wall
The […] nervous system is most important in regulating the contraction and relaxation of the smooth muscle in the airway.
Parasympathetic
The right and left cornary arteries are branches off of the […] and they supply the […]
Ascending aorta
Heart
The anterior intercostal veins drain blood from the […] into the […].
Anterior chest wall
Internal thoracic vein –> brachiocephalic vein
This image shows the right side of the body.
On the left side of the posterior thoracic wall, the […] vein returns blood from the bottom part of the thorax while the […] vein returns blood from the top part of the thorax. Both drain into the […] around the level of […] of the vertebral column.
Hemizygous
Accessory hemizygous
Azygous
T8-T9
The esophagus is always […]
Closed - unless there is food in it
The right and left phrenic nerves carry what kind of information?
Somatic motor to diaphragm
Somatic sensory from diaphragm, mediastinal pleura, and pericardium
Label the image and describe where the thoracic duct could be found in the thorax.
