What are the four radiographically important structures found in the mediastinum?
8.7 ANATOMY AND RADIOGRAPHY OF THE MEDIASTINUM It accommodates a large number of structures, including the heart, large blood vessels, trachea, oesophagus and lymph nodes, and lies roughly in the midline (Figs 8.1 and 8.7A and B).
What structures are contained within the mediastinum?
Surrounded by loose connective tissue, it is an undelineated region that contains a group of structures within the thorax, namely the heart and its vessels, the esophagus, the trachea, the phrenic and cardiac nerves, the thoracic duct, the thymus and the lymph nodes of the central chest.
What are the contents of superior mediastinum?
Areas. Superior Mediastinum. Anterior Mediastinum. Middle Mediastinum. Posterior Mediastinum.
How is the mediastinum divided?
The mediastinum is divided into the superior mediastinum and inferior mediastinum by a transverse plane that extends from the sternal angle (manubriosternal junction), to the intervertebral disc between T4 and T5 vertebrae.
What is fenestrated mediastinum?
These pleural components are continuous. There is controversy regarding whether the mediastinal pleura is fenestrated. In most dogs and cats mediastinum is fenestrated, allowing free communication between the two pleural sacs. The mediastinum extends from the thoracic inlet to the diaphragm.
What structures are contained within the mediastinum quizlet?
The esophagus, heart, thymus gland, and trachea are found in the mediastinum.
What is the anterior mediastinum?
Listen to pronunciation. (an-TEER-ee-er MEE-dee-uh-STY-num) The area in the front part of the chest between the lungs. Also called prevascular space.
What are the boundaries of the mediastinum?
Boundaries of Mediastinum are:
- Posteriorly: thoracic spine.
- Anteriorly: sternum and costal cartilages.
- Laterally: mediastinal pleura.
- Superiorly: thoracic inlet.
- Inferiorly: diaphragm.
What is the middle mediastinum?
The middle mediastinum is an artificial space of the mediastinum divided from the remainder of the extra-pleural intrathoracic cavity by arbitrary lines. It forms the largest component of the inferior mediastinum.
What is posterior mediastinum?
The Posterior Mediastinum is an irregular triangular space running parallel with the vertebral column; it is bounded in front by the pericardium above, and by the posterior surface of the diaphragm below, behind by the vertebral column from the lower border of the fourth to the twelfth thoracic vertebra, and on either …
What is cranial mediastinum?
It is loosely subdivided into cranial (cranial to the heart), middle (the heart and everything immediately dorsal and ventral to the heart), and caudal (caudal to the heart). The cranial mediastinum contains the trachea, esophagus, thymus, sternal and cranial mediastinal lymph nodes, various blood vessels, and nerves.
Which of the following structures is not considered part of the mediastinum?
Answer and Explanation: The organ which is not present in the mediastinum is the A. lungs.
What is found in the mediastinum quizlet?
Define the mediastinum. it is the thoracic region between the two lungs, between the sternum and vertebrae. it houses the heart, great vessels, etc.
How many mediastinum are there?
Regions of the Mediastinum and Common Conditions The mediastinum is generally considered to include 3 distinct regions: Anterior (or anterosuperior mediastinum), Middle mediastinum. Posterior mediastinum.
What is part of the anterior mediastinum?
The anterior mediastinum is the portion of the mediastinum anterior to the pericardium and below the thoracic plane. It forms the anterior part of the inferior mediastinum, and contains the thymus, lymph nodes, and may contain the portions of a retrosternal thyroid.
What structures are in the mediastinum quizlet?
Terms in this set (71)
- Superior vena cava.
- Brachiocephalic veins.
- Arch of the aorta.
- Thoracic duct.
- Trachea.
- Esophagus.
- Thymus.
- Vagus nerves.
What is the name of the lymphatic organ located in the mediastinum?
Thymus. The thymus is a bilobed lymphoid organ located in the superior mediastinum of the thorax, posterior to the sternum. After puberty, it begins to decrease in size; it is small and fatty in adults after degeneration. The primary function of the thymus is the processing and maturation of T lymphocytes.
What specific portion of the mediastinum contains the heart?
Middle: The middle mediastinum is the largest portion, and contains the heart, blood vessels including those that travel from the lungs to the heart, and lymph nodes.
What are major divisions of mediastinum?
Is the hilum part of the mediastinum?
…with the mediastinum at the hilum, a circumscribed area where airways, blood and lymphatic vessels, and nerves enter or leave the lungs. The inside of the thoracic cavities and the lung surface are covered with serous membranes, respectively the parietal pleura and the visceral pleura, which are in direct continuity…
What are the 4 parts of the mediastinum?
Although there are no physical barriers between compartments other than the pericardium, the mediastinum is typically discussed based on subdivisions. The four-compartment model divides the mediastinum into the superior, anterior, middle, and posterior portions.
What is the mediastinum region?
The mediastinum is an anatomic region bounded laterally by the two lungs, anteriorly by the sternum, posteriorly by the vertebrae, superiorly by the thoracic inlet, and inferiorly by the diaphragm. Many focal and diffuse abnormalities occur in the mediastinum.
How many nerves are in the superior mediastinum?
Superior Mediastinum. The nerves that run through this area are three and there are also two different nervous plexuses. The phrenic nerve, the vagus nerve and the left recurrent laryngeal nerve are the singular nerves, while the cardiac plexus branches and the pulmonary plexus branches make up the peripheral neurological plexuses.