Untitled Document

Topographical Anatomy of the Thorax

Click here for printable version

Mediastinum superius		cranially: apertura thoracis sup. (T1, first rbs, upper border of sternum) ventrally: manubrium sterni, ribs + muscles dorsally: spine, ribs + muscles laterally: pleura mediastinalis caudally: arbitrary plane between angulus sterni and intervertebral disc of T4-5	Structures in 5 layers mentioned deepwards: 1. thymus, insertions of mm. sternothyroideus and sternohyoideus, vasa thoracica int. + their branches 2. layer of veins: vv. brachiocephalicae (plexus thyroideus impar, v. intercostalis sup. sin.) connect to form v. cava sup., ductus thoracicus, nn. phrenici 3. layer of arteries: arcus aortae + its branches 4. organs: trachea + bifurcatio tracheae (at the level of T4 vertebral body), oesophageus + nn. vagi, rr. cardiaci, n. laryngeus reccurens sin., nodi lymphoidei tracheobronchiales, nodi lymphoidei paratracheales, membrana bronchopericardiaca 5. truncus sympathicus dx. et sin, nn. cardiaci, nodi lymphoidei juxtaoesophageales, m. longus colli
	Mediatsinum anterius	cranially:arbitrary plane between angulus sterni and intervertebral disc of T4-5 ventrally: corpus sterni, ribs + muscles dorsally: pericardium caudally: diaphragma	ligg. sternopericardiaca nodi lymphoidei parasternales, prepericardiaci vasa thoracica int. + their branches m. transversus thoracis
	Mediatsinum medium	cranially: arbitrary plane between angulus sterni and intervertebral disc of T4-5 ventrally: pericardium dorsally: pericardium caudally: diaphragma	heart in the pericard aorta ascendens, truncus pulmonalis v. cava sup. (+ estuary of v. azygos), v. cava inf. nn. phrenici, vasa percardiacophrenica plexus cardiacus vv. pulmonales nodi lymphoidei pericardiaci laterales
	Mediatsinum posterius	cranially: arbitrary plane between angulus sterni and intervertebral disc of T4-5 ventrally: pericardium dorsally: spine, ribs + muscles caudally: diaphragma	esophagus + plexus oesophageus truncus sympathicus + nn. splanchnici (major, minor, imus) nodi lymphoidei prevertebrales, juxtaoesophageales ductus thoracicus v. azygos, hemiazygos et hemiazygos accessoria (+ their tributaries) aorta thoracica + its branches
Recessus pleurales			recessus costodiaphragmaticus (the most caudal place of pleural cavity) recessus costomediastinalis recessus phrenicomediastinalis recessus vertebromediastinalis
Diaphragma		pars lumbalis (crus sin.,dx.) hiatus aorticus (between crura diaphragmatis, bordered by lig. arcuatum medianum) hiatus oesophageus (in crura diaphragmatis) foramen venae cavae (in centrum tendineum) pars costalis, pars sternalis trigonum strenocostale + lumbocostale	→ truncus sympathicus, nn. splanchnici, (v. azygos et hemiazygos) → aorta thoracica/abdominalis, ductus thoracicus (v. azygos et hemiazygos) → oesophagus, truncus vagalis ant., post. (+ rr. gastrici), rr. oesophageales a. et v. gastricae sin. → v. cava inf., rr. phrenicoabdominales n. phrenici dx.
Spatium intercostale		between two neighbouring ribs	mm. intercostales ext (+ membrana intercostalis ext.) mm. intercostales int.(+ membrana intercostalis int.) nerves + vessels - cranially: v. (cranially) + a. intercostalis ant. et post. (in the middle) + n. (caudally) intercostalis / caudally: r. collateralis a. intercostalis post. + r. collateralis n. intercostalis mm. intercostales intimi mm. subcostales