Superior mediastinum
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Balaji Vasu had no recorded disclosures.
View Balaji Vasu'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 disclosuresThe superior mediastinum is an artificially divided wedge-shaped compartment of the mediastinum located between the thoracic plane inferiorly and the thoracic inlet superiorly. The inferior mediastinum, comprising of the anterior, middle, and posterior parts, lies inferiorly.
Gross anatomy
Boundaries
superiorly: thoracic inlet
inferiorly: thoracic plane
laterally: mediastinal pleura
posteriorly: bodies of the upper four thoracic vertebrae
Contents
muscles: origin of sternohyoid, sternothyroid and lower end of longus colli muscles
arteries: aortic arch and great vessels
veins: right and left brachiocephalic veins, left superior intercostal vein, upper half of superior vena cava
nerves: phrenic nerve, vagus nerve and its cardiac branches, cardiac plexus, left recurrent laryngeal nerve
lymph nodes: brachiocephalic, tracheobronchial, paratracheal
References
- 1. Collins J, Stern EJ. Chest Radiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2008) ISBN:0781763142. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Brett W. Carter, Marcelo F. Benveniste, Rachna Madan, Myrna C. Godoy, Patricia M. de Groot, Mylene T. Truong, Melissa L. Rosado-de-Christenson, Edith M. Marom. ITMIG Classification of Mediastinal Compartments and Multidisciplinary Approach to Mediastinal Masses. (2017) RadioGraphics. 37 (2): 413-436. doi:10.1148/rg.2017160095 - Pubmed
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