Posterior mediastinum

Information about Posterior mediastinum

Posterior mediastinum
Mediastinum
A transverse section of the thorax, showing the contents of the middle and the posterior mediastinum.
Latinmediastinum posterius
subject #239 1093
Dorlands/Elsevier m_06/12518985
The posterior mediastinum is an irregular triangular space running parallel with the vertebral column.

Boundaries

It is bounded:

Content

See also

References

1. ^ Norman/Georgetown thoraxlesson5 - "Posterior Mediastinum"

External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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General anatomy of torso
ThoraxMediastinum (Superior, Anterior, Middle, Posterior) • Superior thoracic aperture • Inferior thoracic aperture • Triangle of auscultation • Intercostal space • Thoracic plane • Thoracic cavity • Thoracic cage
Thoracic diaphragmopenings (Caval opening, Esophageal hiatus, Aortic hiatus, Foramina of Morgagni) • Central tendon • Crus of diaphragm • arcuate ligaments (Lateral, Medial, Median)
AbdomenMcBurney's point • Lumbar triangle • Arcuate line • Linea alba
PerineumUrogenital triangle • Anal triangle • Superficial perineal pouch • Perineal membrane • Deep perineal pouch • Urogenital diaphragm • Superior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm • Ischiorectal fossa - Pudendal canal
FasciaPectoral fascia - Clavipectoral fascia - Transversalis fascia - Deep inguinal ring - Superficial inguinal ring - Fascia of Camper - Fascia of Scarpa - Fascia of Colles
Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of 34 vertebrae, the sacrum, intervertebral discs, and the coccyx situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by spinal discs. It houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal.
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The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.

Layers

There are two layers to this sac: the fibrous pericardium and the serous pericardium.
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diaphragm is a sheet of muscle extending across the bottom of the ribcage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration.
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The thoracic plane is a plane used to divide the mediastinum into a superior mediastinum and inferior mediastinum.

This plane runs through the level of the sternal angle, (which is the joint between the manubrium and body of the sternum), between the intervertebral disc of
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vertebral column (backbone or spine) is a column of 34 vertebrae, the sacrum, intervertebral discs, and the coccyx situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by spinal discs. It houses the spinal cord in its spinal canal.
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The thoracic vertebrae compose the middle segment of the vertebral column, between the cervical vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae. They are intermediate in size between those of the cervical and lumbar regions; they increase in size as one proceeds down the spine, the upper
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The thoracic aorta is contained in the posterior mediastinal cavity.

It begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, at the aortic hiatus in
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The descending aorta is divided into two portions, the thoracic and abdominal, in correspondence with the two great cavities of the trunk in which it is situated.

Additional images




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The azygos vein is a vein running up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column.

Structure

The azygos vein transports deoxygenated blood from the posterior walls of the thorax and abdomen into the superior vena cava vein.
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The hemiazygos vein (vena azygos minor inferior) is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region, just to the left side of the vertebral column.

Structure


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The accessory hemiazygos vein (vena azygos minor superior) is a vein on the left side of the vertebral column that generally drains the fifth through eighth intercostal spaces on the left side of the body.
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The vagus nerve (also called pneumogastric nerve or cranial nerve X) is the tenth of twelve paired cranial nerves, and is the only nerve that starts in the brainstem (within the medulla oblongata) and extends, through the jugular foramen, down below the head, to the
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The splanchnic nerves are paired nerves that innervate the viscera, carrying fibers of the autonomic nervous system (visceral efferent fibers) as well as sensory fibers from the organs (which are also known as visceral afferent fibers).
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The sympathetic trunk (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) is a bundle of nerve fibers that runs from the base of the skull to the coccyx. There are two sympathetic trunks in the body, a right one and a left one.
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The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/œsophagus, Greek οἰσοφάγος), or gullet
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In human anatomy, the thoracic duct is an important part of the lymphatic system—it is the largest lymphatic vessel in the body.

It collects most of the lymph in the body (except that from the right arm and the right side of the chest, neck and head, which is
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Lymph nodes are components of the lymphatic system. They are sometimes informally called lymph glands but, as they do not secrete substances, such terminology is not entirely accurate. They are found mostly in the neck area.
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The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the thorax (chest), surrounded by loose connective tissue. It is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity.
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Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university, located in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood. Father John Carroll founded the school in 1789, though its roots extend back to 1634.
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GPnotebook is a British medical database for general practitioners (GPs).[1] It is an online encyclopaedia of medicine that provides an immediate reference resource for clinicians worldwide. The database consists of over 30,000 pages of information.
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Public domain comprises the body of knowledge and innovation (especially creative works such as writing, art, music, and inventions) in relation to which no person or other legal entity can establish or maintain proprietary interests within a particular legal jurisdiction.
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Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body (or Gray's Anatomy as it has commonly been shortened) is an English-language human anatomy textbook widely regarded as a classic work on the subject.
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Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
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Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies (including that of the human) from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk. The torso includes the thorax and abdomen.
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thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.

In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs. It extends from the neck to the diaphragm, not including the upper limbs.
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The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the thorax (chest), surrounded by loose connective tissue. It is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity.
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The superior mediastinum is that portion of the interpleural space which lies between the manubrium sterni in front, and the upper thoracic vertebrae behind.

Boundaries

It is bounded:
  • below

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