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The mediastinum (from Medieval Latin: mediastinus, lit. 'midway'; [2] pl.: mediastina) is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity.Surrounded by loose connective tissue, it is a region that contains vital organs and structures within the thorax, namely the heart and its vessels, the esophagus, the trachea, the vagus, phrenic and cardiac nerves, the thoracic duct, the thymus and the lymph ...
The diaphragm typically appears as two separate, curved outlines (hemidiaphragms) on a chest X-ray due to the heart and mediastinum obscuring its central portion. When air accumulates in the mediastinum or peritoneal cavity, it outlines the diaphragm, making its central portion visible and creating the appearance of a continuous line. [4]
The mediastinum comprises those organs which lie in the centre of the chest between the lungs. The cavity also contains two openings one at the top, the superior thoracic aperture also called the thoracic inlet , and a lower inferior thoracic aperture which is much larger than the inlet.
In humans, the left and right lungs are completely separated by the mediastinum, and there is no communication between their pleural cavities.Therefore, in cases of a unilateral pneumothorax, the contralateral lung will remain functioning normally unless there is a tension pneumothorax, which may shift the mediastinum and the trachea, kink the great vessels, and eventually collapse the ...
The muscle fibres of the diaphragm radiate outward from the central tendon. While the diaphragm is one muscle, it is composed of two distinct muscle regions: the costal, which serves as the driver in the work of breathing, and crural diaphragm, which serves as an "anchor;" attaching the muscle to the lower ribs and lumbar vertebrae.
Typically, there are two trunks - one on each side of the body. The right bronchomediastinal trunk may connect the right lymphatic duct , and the left trunk to the thoracic duct , [ 1 ] although more frequently, they open independently into the junction of the internal jugular vein and subclavian veins on their respective sides.
The thoracic cavity is further separated into the pleural cavity which contains the lungs and the superior mediastinum which includes the pericardial (heart) cavity. The organs within the ventral body cavity are called the viscera .
The mediastinal branches are numerous small vessels which supply the lymph glands and loose areolar tissue in the posterior mediastinum. References