Ligamentum arteriosum
The ligamentum arteriosum (or arteriosus) is the small fibrous remnant of the fetal ductus arteriosum, located between and connecting the proximal left pulmonary artery and the undersurface of the junction of the aortic arch and descending aorta, at the aortic isthmus. The left recurrent laryngeal nerve curves upwards from the left vagus nerve underneath the aortic arch lateral then posterior to the ligamentum arteriosum as it ascends to the larynx. It is one of the many structures at the level of the horizontal transthoracic plane of Ludwig.
The ligamentum may create a small diverticulum arising from the anteromedial wall of the aorta, known as a ductus diverticulum, that may be mistaken for a aneurysm.
Related pathology
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Thoracic
- thoracic skeleton
- thoracic cage
- thoracic spine
- articulations
- muscles of the thorax
- diaphragm
- intercostal space
- intercostal muscles
- variant anatomy
- spaces of the thorax
- thoracic viscera
- tracheobronchial tree
-
lungs
-
bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
- left lung
- right lung
- variant anatomy
- lung parenchyma
- hilum
- pleura
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bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
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heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- pectinate muscles
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
- coronary arteries
- innervation of the heart
- fetal circulation
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pericardium
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- oblique pericardial sinus
- transverse pericardial sinus
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pericardial recesses
- aortic recesses
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- postcaval recess
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- epicardial fat pad
- esophagus
- thymus
- breast
- blood supply of the thorax
- arteries
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thoracic aorta (development)
- ascending aorta
- aortic arch
- aortic isthmus
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thoracic aorta (development)
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- inferior vena cava
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coronary veins
- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- great cardiac vein
- middle cardiac vein
- small cardiac vein
- posterior vein of the left ventricle
- vein of Marshall (oblique vein of the left atrium)
- anterior cardiac veins
- venae cordis minimae (smallest cardiac veins or thebesian veins)
- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- pulmonary veins
- arteries
- lymphatics
- innervation of the thorax
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