Retrotracheal space
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Joshua Yap had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Joshua Yap's current disclosures- Raider triangle
- Retro-tracheal space
- Raider's triangle
The retrotracheal space (or Raider triangle) is a radiolucent mediastinal space best seen on lateral chest x-rays. It is normally triangular in shape but can vary greatly in size and shape depending on the patient's body habitus and lung volume 1.
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Boundaries
anterior: posterior tracheal stripe/tracheo-esophageal stripe
posterior: thoracic vertebral bodies
inferior: aortic arch
superior: thoracic inlet
History and etymology
The retrotracheal space was first described by Louis Raider (1913-1999) 2 in 1973 4, although he had a hard time finding a journal willing to accept it, as both Radiology and AJR rejected the manuscript. Ben Felson called it Raider's triangle in his Caldwell Lecture in 1986 3.
Related pathology
References
- 1. Franquet T, Erasmus JJ, GiméNez A et-al. The retrotracheal space: normal anatomic and pathologic appearances. Radiographics. 2003;22 Spec No: S231-46. Pubmed citation
- 2. Louis Raider, 1913-1999. (2000) American Journal of Roentgenology. doi:10.2214/ajr.174.5.1741322
- 3. Felson B. Caldwell lecture. Armchair research and the practicing radiologist. (1986) AJR. American journal of roentgenology. 147 (5): 881-90. doi:10.2214/ajr.147.5.881 - Pubmed
- 4. Raider L. The retrotracheal triangle. (1973) Chest. 63 (5): 835-8. Pubmed
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