Week #6 Flashcards
(124 cards)
What is found in the anterior middle mediastinum
Ussually fat but before it was the thymus but is involuted in adolescents
What does the Brachiocephalic (left and right), subclavian, and Internal Jugular Vein drain?
So SVC then Brachiocephalic vein (left and right) then this splits into the subclavian vein and the internal jugular vein
The subclavian vein drain arms
And IJV drains the head and neck
What is the azygous vein and where does is drain to?
The Azygous vein collects blood from the thoracic walls and drains into the posterior of the SVC
how does the aorta arch
upwards, backwards and to the left
When does the aortic arch become the descending aorta
T4/T5 disc level
what is the ligamentum arteriosum?
similar to the fossa ovalis in that it is present in the foetal circulation and connects the aorta to the pulmonary trunk-now just a connection
Aortic arch supplies the head and neck through the…
…right brachiocephalic trunk which splits into the subclavial artery and the right common carotid and then on the left side we have the left common carotid and the left subclavian arteries
Retro-oesophageal right subclavian artery…?
can arise due to different arrangements of the aortic arch and branching veins and is when there is no right brachiocephalic artery and we get later branching of the right common carotid and it goes behind oesophagus and could cause swallowing issues.
C3, C4, C5 keeps the…?
Diaphragm alive
Phrenic Nerve…?
…passes between the subclavian vein and artery and then runs anterior to lung root and pierces diaphragm
Left and right Phrenic nerves are the most lateral structures of the mediastinum
Right Phrenic nerve will be lateral to venous structures and will go through diaphragm at the level of T8 with the IVC
the left phrenic nerve will be lateral to arterial structure and peireces the diaphragm on its own at the level of the apex of the heart
What does the phrenic nerve supply?
motor supply to the diaphragm and this is through the branching that occurs on the abdominal surface and also sensory nerves and sensory information is picked up from the diaphragmatic pleura and pericardium (i.e. structures is passes by)
Vagus nerve
Is a cranial nerve that runs postero-lateral to the common carotid artery. So starts in the cranium and then comes down. Vagus nerve will pierce the diaphragm at the T10 level with the oesophagus
Where does the oesophagus pierce the diaphragm?
At T10
where does the IVC pierce the diaphragm?
at T8
The vagus nerve has what kind of nerve fibres?
parasympathetic nerve fibres
Right vagus nerve pathway to diaphragm
runs down with the trache and then passes posterior to lung root and then pierces diaphragm at T10
Left Vagus nerve pathway to diaphragm
cannot move medially as it is impinged by the aorta so runs with that and then passes behind lung root and then pierces diaphragm with oesophagus at T10
Left recurrent Laryngeal nerve
given off by the left vagus nerve near the left lateral side of the arch of the aorta and hooks around ligamentum arteriosum and under arch of aorta and then ascend to the larynx through tracheal-oesophagus groove
Right recurrent laryngeal nerve
hooks under the right subclavian artery and then ascends thriugh the right side of the tracheal/oesophageal nerve
oesophagus
starts at C6 and peirces diagphragm at T10 and then comes forard and enters the stomach.
oesophagus is behind the trachea and is often flat-not a hard architecture like the trachea
Sites of narrowing are at the beging and the end and where the oesophagus is compressed by the aorta and the bronchi
Thoracic duct
Throracic duct is on the back of the esophagus and begins at the aortic hiatus.
At the level of T12 between crurer we have lymphatic collection sac cisterna chyli
cisterna chyli collect all the lymph from bellow the diagphragm and is immediately adjacent to T12 and the crurer and from that the thoracic duct ascends on the back of oesophagus and up it goes and then empties into the back of the IVC at the junction of the IVJ and right subclavian

What does the descending aorta supply?

descending aorta supplies the entire thorax through a series of branches and does so for each of the intercostal spaces. Other branches are bronchiol arteries and pericardial arteries and oesophageal arteries
What are the 4 components of the posterior mediastinum?
descending aorta, esophagus, thoracic duct, azygous vein and sympathetic trunk
TLR-4?
recognises LPS