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Mediastinum
 
 
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The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the thorax
Thorax

The 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....
 (chest), surrounded by loose connective tissue. It is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity
Thoracic cavity

The thoracic cavity is the body cavity of the human body that is protected by the thoracic wall ....
. It contains the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
, the great vessels of the heart, esophagus
Esophagus

The esophagus or oesophagus , sometimes known as the gullet, is an Organ in vertebrates which consists of a Muscle tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach....
, trachea
Trachea

Trachea is a common term for 'Wind Pipe' an airway through which respiratory air passes in organisms. In vertebrates, it is held open by up to 20 C-shaped rings of cartilage....
, phrenic nerve, cardiac nerve, thoracic duct, thymus
Thymus

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the Thoracic cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T lymphocyte maturation....
, and lymph nodes of the central chest.

mediastinum lies between the right and left pleura in and near the median sagittal plane of the chest.






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Encyclopedia


The mediastinum is a non-delineated group of structures in the thorax
Thorax

The 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....
 (chest), surrounded by loose connective tissue. It is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity
Thoracic cavity

The thoracic cavity is the body cavity of the human body that is protected by the thoracic wall ....
. It contains the heart
Heart

The heart is a muscle organ in all vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods....
, the great vessels of the heart, esophagus
Esophagus

The esophagus or oesophagus , sometimes known as the gullet, is an Organ in vertebrates which consists of a Muscle tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach....
, trachea
Trachea

Trachea is a common term for 'Wind Pipe' an airway through which respiratory air passes in organisms. In vertebrates, it is held open by up to 20 C-shaped rings of cartilage....
, phrenic nerve, cardiac nerve, thoracic duct, thymus
Thymus

In human anatomy, the thymus is an organ located in the upper anterior portion of the Thoracic cavity just behind the sternum. The main function of the thymus is to provide an area for T lymphocyte maturation....
, and lymph nodes of the central chest.

Anatomy

The mediastinum lies between the right and left pleura in and near the median sagittal plane of the chest. It extends from the sternum in front to the vertebral column behind, and contains all the thoracic viscera except the lungs. It may be divided for purposes of description into two parts:
  • an upper portion, above the upper level of the pericardium, which is named the superior mediastinum
    Superior mediastinum

    The superior mediastinum is that portion of the interpleural space which lies between the manubrium sterni in front, and the upper thoracic vertebrae behind....
     with its superior limit at the superior thoracic opening and its inferior limit at the plane from the sternal angle to the disc of T4-T5 (Plane of Ludwig);
  • and a lower portion, below the upper level of the pericardium. This lower portion is again subdivided into three parts, viz.:
    • that in front of the pericardium, the anterior mediastinum
      Anterior mediastinum

      The anterior mediastinum exists only on the left side where the left pleura diverges from the mid-sternal line.It is narrow, above, but widens out a little below....
      ;
    • that containing the pericardium and its contents, the middle mediastinum
      Middle mediastinum

      The middle mediastinum is the broadest part of the interpleural space. It is made up of the pericardial sac and its contents....
      ;
    • and that behind the pericardium, the posterior mediastinum
      Posterior mediastinum

      The posterior mediastinum is an irregular triangular space running parallel with the vertebral column....
      .


It is surrounded by the chest wall anteriorly, the lungs laterally and the spine posteriorly. It is continuous with the loose connective tissue of the neck
Neck

The neck is the part of the body on many limbed vertebrates that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The scientific term signifying "of the neck" is nuchal....
, and extends inferiorly onto the diaphragm.

Note that clinical radiologists and anatomists categorize the mediastinum in slightly different ways.

Role in disease


The mediastinum is frequently the site of involvement of various tumors.

Mediastinitis
Mediastinitis

Mediastinitis is inflammation of the tissues in the mid-chest, or mediastinum. It can be either Acute or Chronic .Acute mediastinitis is usually bacterial and due to rupture of organs in the mediastinum....
 is inflammation
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 of the tissues in the mediastinum, usually bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
l and due to rupture of organs in the mediastinum. As the infection can progress very quickly, this is a serious condition.

Pneumomediastinum
Pneumomediastinum

Pneumomediastinum is a condition in which air is present in the mediastinum. First described in 1819 by Ren? Laennec, the condition can result from physical trauma or other situations that lead to high pressure within the alveoli of the lung, causing them to burst and leak air into the chest cavity....
 is the presence of air in the mediastinum, which in some cases can lead to pneumothorax
Pneumothorax

In medicine , a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung, is a potential medical emergency caused by accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity....
, pneumoperitoneum
Pneumoperitoneum

Pneumoperitoneum is air or gas in the abdominal cavity. It is often seen on X-ray, but small amounts are often missed, and CT is nowadays regarded as a criterion standard in the assessment of a pneumoperitoneum....
, and pneumopericardium
Pneumopericardium

Pneumopericardium is a medical condition where air enters the pericardial cavity.It can be congenital, or introduced by a wound....
 if left untreated. However, that does not always occur and sometimes those conditions are actually the cause, not the result, of pneumomediastinum.

These two conditions frequently accompany Boerhaave's syndrome, or spontaneous esophageal
Esophageal

Esophageal can refer to:* The esophagus* Esophageal arteries...
 rupture.

A widened mediastinum (usually found via a chest x-ray) is a classic hallmark sign of anthrax infection. At this point, the disease is typically fatal.

See also

  • Widened mediastinum
    Widened mediastinum

    Widened mediastinum is a mediastinum with a measured width greater than 8 cm on PA chest X-ray....
  • Mediastinum testis
    Mediastinum testis

    The mediastinum testis is a network of fibrous connective tissue that extends from the upper to near the lower extremity of the testis, and is wider above than below....
     (unrelated structure in the scrotum
    Scrotum

    In some male mammals the scrotum is a protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles. It is an extension of the abdomen, and is located between the penis and anus....
    )
  • Mediastinal germ cell tumor
    Mediastinal germ cell tumor

    Malignant mediastinal germ cell tumors of various histologies were first described as a clinical entity approximately 50 years ago. mediastinum and other extragonadal germ cell tumors were initially thought to represent isolated metastasis from an inapparent gonads primary site....
  • Mediastinitis
    Mediastinitis

    Mediastinitis is inflammation of the tissues in the mid-chest, or mediastinum. It can be either Acute or Chronic .Acute mediastinitis is usually bacterial and due to rupture of organs in the mediastinum....
  • Anthrax
    Anthrax

    Anthrax is an Acute disease in humans and animals caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which is highly lethal in some forms. There are effective vaccines against anthrax, and some forms of the disease respond well to antibiotic treatment....


External links

- "Divisions of the mediastinum." - "The anatomical divisions of the inferior mediastinum." - "Subdivisions of the Thoracic Cavity"