PLEURA
- The pleura is a smooth glossy membrane lining tho thoracic cavity.
- Consist of 2 layers:
- Visceral pleura - covers the lung.
- Parietal pleura - covers the internal surface of the thoracic cavity.
- thicker
- The space between the 2 layers known as the pleural cavity.
- contains a small amount of the pleural fluid, this primits smooth movements of the lungs and pleura during breathing and ensure negative pressure in the thoracic cavity.
Basic parts:
- 1 Visceral pleura (pleura visceralis)
- 2 Mesopneumonium – the transition between the visceral and parietal pleura in the hilum of the lung
- 3 Pleural cavity (cavitas pleuralis)
- 4 Parietal pleura (pleura parietalis)
- 4.1 Pleural cupula (cupula pleurae) – is located cranially between the scaleni
- 4.2 Costal part (pars costalis) – faces the ribs
- 4.3 Mediastinal part (pars mediastinalis) – faces mediastinum
- 4.4 Diaphragmatic part (pars diaphragmatica) – faces the diaphragm
Pleural recesses:
Anteriorly and posteroinferiorly the pleural cavity is not completely filled by the lungs → recesses
- 5 Costodiaphragmatic recess (recessus costodiaphragmaticus) – between the ribs and the diaphragm – the deepest part of the pleural cavity
- 6 Costomediastinal recess (recessus costomediastinalis) – the anterior border of the mediastinal pleura between the ribs and the anterior mediastinum
- 7 Phrenicomediastinal recess (recessus phrenicomediastinalis) – between the diaphragm and the inferior mediastinum
- 8 Vertebromediastinal recess (recessus vertebromediastinalis) – between the vertebrae and the mediastinum