Pericardial cavity

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Pericardial cavity

A transverse section of the thorax, showing the contents of the middle and the posterior mediastinum. The pleural and pericardial cavities are exaggerated since normally there is no space between parietal and visceral pleura and between pericardium and heart.
Latin	cavitas pericardiaca
Precursor	intraembryonic coelom

The pericardial cavity (or pericardial space) is a potential space between the parietal pericardium and visceral layer. It contains a supply of serous fluid. The serous fluid that is found in this space is known as the pericardial fluid.

External links

Pericardial+cavity at eMedicine Dictionary
thoraxlesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
Atlas of anatomy at UMich ht_pericard1 - "Chest X-ray showing pericardium, posteroanterior view"

Anatomy, Respiratory system: Thoracic cavity (TA A07, TH H3.05.03, GA 11.1087)

Pleurae

Parietal pleura (Cervical, Costal, Mediastinal, Diaphragmatic) · Visceral pleura · Pulmonary ligament · recesses (Costomediastinal, Costodiaphragmatic) · Pleural cavity

Suprapleural membrane

Mediastinum

Superior · Anterior · Middle · Posterior

General

Thoracic wall

M: RES

anat(n, x, l, c)/phys/devp

noco(c, p)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug(R1/2/3/5/6/7)

Anatomy of torso, cardiovascular system: heart (TA A12.1, TH H3.09.01, GA 5.524)

General

Surface	base · apex · grooves (coronary/atrioventricular, interatrial, anterior interventricula, posterior interventricular) · surfaces (sternocostal, diaphragmatic) · borders (right, left) · Openings of smallest cardiac veins

Internal	atria (interatrial septum, musculi pectinati, sulcus terminalis) · ventricles (interventricular septum, trabeculae carneae, chordae tendineae, papillary muscle) · valves · cusps · Atrioventricular septum cardiac skeleton Intervenous tubercle

Chambers

Right heart	(venae cavae, coronary sinus) → right atrium (atrial appendage, fossa ovalis, limbus of fossa ovalis, crista terminalis, valve of inferior vena cava, valve of coronary sinus) → tricuspid valve → right ventricle (conus arteriosus, moderator band/septomarginal trabecula) → pulmonary valve → (pulmonary artery and pulmonary circulation)

Left heart	(pulmonary veins) → left atrium (atrial appendage) → mitral valve → left ventricle → aortic valve (aortic sinus) → (aorta and systemic circulation)

Layers

Endocardium	Heart valves

Myocardium	Conduction system: Cardiac pacemaker · SA node · AV node · bundle of His · Purkinje fibers

Pericardial cavity	Pericardial sinus

Pericardium	fibrous pericardium (Sternopericardiac ligaments) · serous pericardium (epicardium/visceral layer) · Fold of the left vena cava

M: HRT

anat/phys/devp

noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug (C1A/1B/1C/1D), blte

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