PERICARDIUM
- Pericardium
- fibrous pericardium
- made up of conical sac of fibrous tissue
- attached to its surface
- parietal layer of serous pericardium
- features
- apex is blunt
- lies at the level of sternal angle
- fused with roots of great vessels and with pretracheal fascia
- base is broad and inseparably blended with central tendon of diaphragm
- posteriorly
- principal bronchi
- oesophagus with nerve plexus
- descending thoracic aorta
- anteriorly
- sternopericardial ligaments
- connects to upper and lower ends of body of sternum
- superior and inferior ligaments
- each side
- mediastinal pleura
- mediastinal surface of lung
- phrenic nerve
- pericardiophrenic vessels
- protects heart
- sudden overfilling
- overexpansion of heart
- serous pericardium
- thin double layered
- serous membrane
- lined by mesothelium
- outer layer
- parietal pericardium
- fused with fibrous pericardium
- inner layer
- visceral pericardium
- epicardium fused to heart
- except along cardiac grooves
- the two layers are continuous
- pericardial cavity
- pericardial fluid
- sinuses of pericardium
- transverse sinus
- arterial tubes
- encloses ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk
- at arterial end
- venous tubes
- encloses venacava and pulmonary veins
- at venous end
- oblique sinus
- narrow gap behind the heart
- anteriorly by left atrium
- posteriorly by parietal pericardium and esophagus
- contents of pericardium
- heart with cardiac vessels and nerves
- ascending aorta
- pulmonary trunk
- lower half of superior venacava
- terminal part of inferior venacava
- terminal part of pulmonary veins
- blood supply
- internal thoracic artery
- musculophrenic artery
- descending thoracic aorta
- veins drain in to corresponding veins
- nerve supply
- fibrous and serous pericardium
- phrenic nerves
- pericarditis pain originates in epicardium
- angina or cardiac pain
- originates in cardiac muscles of vessels of heart
