Week 2- Anterior mediastinum Flashcards
How can the mediastinum be divided?
Into superior and inferior.
Inferior can be further divided into anterior, middle and posterior.
What separates the superior and inferior mediastinum?
Transverse thoracic plane- runs from the sternal angle to the T4/5 intervertebral disc.
What are the boundaries of the anterior mediastinum?
Anteriorly- body of sternum
Posteriorly- pericardium
Superiorly- transverse thoracic plane
Inferiorly- diaphragm.
What can be found in the anterior mediastinum?
Loose connective tissue
Fat
Lymphatics
What might be found in children in the anterior mediastinum that may not be present in adults?
The thymus as its larger in children and may extend down into the anterior mediastinum.
What is contained in the middle mediastinum?
The heart and pericardium
Roots of the great vessels.
Which nerve is associated with the pericardium of the heart?
The phrenic nerve.
On the right it runs over the pericardium over the right atrium. On the left it runs over the pericardium over the atrium and ventricle.
What does the fibrous pericardium blend with superiorly?
The tunica adventitia of the great vessels.
What does the fibrous pericardium blend with inferiorly?
The central tendon of the diaphragm.
Describe the layers of the pericardium
Fibrous pericardium- outer layer
Serous pericardium- divided into two layers parietal serous pericardium and visceral pericardium.
What lies deep to the visceral serous pericardium?
Lots of fatty deposits.
What is the visceral serous pericardium also known as?
The epicardium.
What layers of the heart lie below the epicardium?
Myocardium- muscle layer
Endocardium
What is the transverse pericardial sinus and what is its significance?
The heart starts of as a tube in a pericardial sac. As it starts to develop it folds in on itself leaving a layer of pericardial sac within the heart. This separates the great vessels.
Where would you find the oblique pericardial sinus?
Space underneath and behind the heart.
Which chamber of the heart makes up the inferior border?
Right ventricle.
Which chamber of the heart makes up the apex?
Left ventricle.
Which chamber of the heart makes up the right border?
The right atrium
What chamber of the heart makes up the left border?
Left ventricle and auricle.