Anatomy Bones and Muscles · MU Pleven

92. Pericardium. Pericardial cavity

Covers the pericardium as a fibro-serous sac around the heart and the roots of the great vessels, starting with the tough fibrous outer layer and its attachments to the sternum, diaphragm, mediastinum and great vessels. It then describes the serous layer's visceral and parietal parts, the narrow pericardial cavity with its small fluid volume, and the transverse and oblique sinuses. The note closes with the blood supply, venous drainage and nerve supply of the pericardium. Seven pictures accompany the text.

Inside: 1 section · 7 labelled pictures · 13 flashcards · 2 min

Topic 91 of 236 in the MU Pleven syllabus for Anatomy Bones and Muscles (Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 1 section, about 334 words (2 min of reading), with 13 flashcards.

In this note

  1. PERICARDIUM

PERICARDIUM

1 spoon full = the fluid amount.

  • It is a Fibro-serous sac surrounding the heart and the roots of great vessels.
  • Consists of 2 layers fuse together Fibrous and Serous.

Fibrous pericardium:

  • It is the tough outer layer.
  • It defines the boundaries of the middle mediastinum.
  • It is cone shaped sac.
  • Superiorly, Its apex surrounds the great vessels and adherent to their walls.
  • Inferiorly, Its base fuses with central tendon of the diaphragm (pierced by IVC).
  • On either sides, it is related to phrenic nerves and pericardiophrenic vessels and medial surfaces of both lungs.
  • Anteriorly, It is related to body of sternum, attached to it by two sterno-pericardial ligaments (superior and inferior).
  • Posteriorly, It is related to posterior mediastinal structures (esophagus and descending thoracic aorta).

Serous Pericardium:

It is closed serous sac that is invaginated by heart to be divided into:

  1. Visceral layer - adherent to the heart (epicardium)
  2. Parietal layer : lines the inner surface fibrous pericardium

* Both layers are continuous around roots of great vessels.

Pericardial cavity:

  • The narrow space created between the two layers of serous pericardium, containing a small amount of fluid.
  • This space allows for the relatively uninhibited movement of the heart.

Pericardial sinuses: hollow space

- The parietal layer of serous pericardium is continuous with the visceral layers of serous pericardium around the roots of the great vessels. These reflections of serous pericardium occur in two locations:

  1. One superiorly: surrounding the arteries (Aorta and pulmonary trunk).
  2. The other more posteriorly surrounding the veins (SVC, IVC, and pulmonary veins).

- The sinuses are spaces are formed by the reflections

  1. Transverse Sinus: - Located posterior to the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk, Anterior to the SVC.
  • Allows for movement of the great vessels during contractions.
  1. Oblique sinus: - Located posterior to the heart, specifically between the left atrium and the pulmonary veins.

Blood Supply:

Arteries: musculophrenic, pericardiophrenic, and descending thoracic aorta.

Venous drainage: azygos system.

Nerves: Fibrous + parietal layer of serous= somatic nerves (right and left phrenic nerves).

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