Posterior mediastinum
The posterior mediastinum (or paravertebral compartment) is a potential space along the paravertebral sulci. It is conceptually considered a portion of the inferior mediastinum, and separated from the middle mediastinal compartment and the remainder of the extrapleural intrathoracic cavity by arbitrary lines.
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Gross anatomy
Relations
- superiorly: superior mediastinum
- anteriorly: anterior and middle mediastinum (which form the other compartments of the inferior mediastinum).
It is continuous with the retropharyngeal space via the posterior part of the superior mediastinum.
Contents
- thoracic spine 5
- paraspinal nervous system 6
- thoracic spinal ganglion
- sympathetic trunk and major branches
- rami communicantes of intercostal nerves
- paravertebral soft tissues 5
- proximal intercostal vessels
- distal azygos-hemiazygos venous system 6
Boundaries
- superiorly: thoracic inlet
- inferiorly: diaphragm
- anteriorly: posterior boundaries of middle mediastinum (1 cm posterior to anterior margin of thoracic vertebral bodies) 5
- posteriorly: posterior margin of chest wall, along the transverse processes of thoracic vertebrae
- laterally: mediastinal parietal pleura
Related pathology
- wide variety of malignancies, e.g. mesothelioma, lung, neurogenic (e.g. schwannoma), teratoma, lymphoma, sarcoma
- lymphadenopathy
- aortic aneurysm
- extramedullary hematopoiesis
See also
- main article: differential for a posterior mediastinal mass
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
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lungs
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bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
- left lung
- right lung
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bronchopulmonary segmental anatomy (Boyden Classification) (mnemonic)
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heart
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coronary arteries
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left main coronary artery (LMCA)
- ramus intermedius artery (RI)
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circumflex artery (LCx)
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left anterior descending artery (LAD)
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right coronary artery (RCA)
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pericardium
- pericardial space
- oblique pericardial sinus
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pericardial recesses
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- pulmonic recesses
- postcaval recess
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- pericardial ligaments
- epicardial fat pad
- esophagus
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- breast
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coronary veins
- cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- great cardiac vein
- middle cardiac vein
- small cardiac vein
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- pulmonary veins
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