What does the mediastinum contains?

The mediastinum houses many vital structures including the heart, great vessels, trachea, and essential nerves.

What does the mediastinum contain quizlet?

The mediastinum is a space between the lungs, which contains the thoracic viscera. Inferior (anterior, middle, posterior) mediastinum.

Where is the thoracic viscera?

The mediastinum is the region in the chest between the pleural cavities that contains the heart and other thoracic viscera, except the lungs.

What are the contents of the middle mediastinum?

The middle mediastinum contains the vagus nerve, recurrent laryngeal nerve, heart, proximal pulmonary arteries and veins, trachea and root of the bronchial tree and associated bronchial lymph nodes, and superior and inferior vena cava.

What is widened mediastinum?

A widened mediastinum is a feature often seen on a plain chest x-ray. When the mediastinum is greater than 6 to 8cm, depending on which source, it is noted to be wide. A wide mediastinum has many causes which include the following: Thoracic aortic aneurysm of the ascending and proximal descending aorta.

What causes widened mediastinum?

Widening of the mediastinum is most often due to technical factors such as patient positioning or the projection used. Rotation, incomplete inspiration, or an AP view, may all exaggerate the width of the mediastinum, as well as heart size.

What is the mediastinum?

(MEE-dee-uh-STY-num) The area between the lungs. The organs in this area include the heart and its large blood vessels, the trachea, the esophagus, the thymus, and lymph nodes but not the lungs.

What structures make up the mediastinum quizlet?

The major structures within the superior mediastinum from anterior to posterior are the thymus, veins, arteries, trachea, esophagus and lymphatic trunks. Intertwined within these structures are the vagus nerves and phrenic nerves.

What is the meaning of thoracic viscera?

The thoracic cavity contains the lungs and heart; organs of the respiratory, cardiovascular, and lymphatic systems; the inferior portion of the esophagus; and the thymus gland. This area contains all the thoracic structures except the lungs and pleurae.

What anatomical cavity or compartment contains all of the thoracic viscera except the lungs?

What does mediastinum mean in medical terms?

Medical Definition of mediastinum. 1 : the space in the chest between the pleural sacs of the lungs that contains all the viscera of the chest except the lungs and pleurae also : this space with its contents. 2 : mediastinum testis. More from Merriam-Webster on mediastinum.

Where is the mediastinum located in the thoracic cavity?

The pleural cavities are placed in the lateral parts of the thorax, they contain the lungs and their associated structures. The mediastinum sits centrally, between the pleural cavities. The mediastinum, or mediastinal cavity, is a visceral compartment of the thoracic cavity.

How many visceral organs are there in the superior mediastinum?

The superior mediastinum contains three visceral organs including the esophagus, the trachea and remnants of the thymus. The nerves that run through this area are three and there are also two different nervous plexuses.

What are the different mediastinum compartments?

The inferior mediastinum is further divided into the anterior, middle and posterior mediastinum. Every compartment of the mediastinum contains many vital organs, vascular and neural structures that are closely related one to another. Such a rich content of the mediastinum indicates its significance from the aspect of the anatomy.