The thoracic cavity (or chest cavity) is the chamber of the body of vertebrates that is protected by the thoracic wall ( rib cage and associated skin, muscle, and

fascia A fascia (; plural fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; from Latin: "band") is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches to, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. ...

). The central compartment of the thoracic cavity is the

mediastinum The mediastinum (from ) is the central compartment of the thoracic cavity. Surrounded by loose connective tissue, it is an undelineated region that contains a group of structures within the thorax, namely the heart and its vessels, the esophagu ...

. There are two openings of the thoracic cavity, a superior thoracic aperture known as the

thoracic inlet The superior thoracic aperture, also known as the thoracic outlet, or thoracic inlet refers to the opening at the top of the thoracic cavity. It is also clinically referred to as the thoracic outlet, in the case of thoracic outlet syndrome. A low ...

and a lower inferior thoracic aperture known as the

thoracic outlet The superior thoracic aperture, also known as the thoracic outlet, or thoracic inlet refers to the opening at the top of the thoracic cavity. It is also clinically referred to as the thoracic outlet, in the case of thoracic outlet syndrome. A low ...

. The thoracic cavity includes the tendons as well as the

cardiovascular system The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

which could be damaged from injury to the back, spine or the neck.

Structure

Structures within the thoracic cavity include: * structures of the

, including the heart and great vessels, which include the thoracic aorta, the pulmonary artery and all its branches, the

superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lake ...

and inferior vena cava, the pulmonary veins, and the azygos vein * structures of the respiratory system, including the

diaphragm Diaphragm may refer to: Anatomy * Thoracic diaphragm, a thin sheet of muscle between the thorax and the abdomen * Pelvic diaphragm or pelvic floor, a pelvic structure * Urogenital diaphragm or triangular ligament, a pelvic structure Other * Diap ...

, trachea, bronchi and lungs * structures of the

digestive system The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller compone ...

, including the esophagus, * endocrine glands, including the thymus gland, * structures of the nervous system including the paired vagus nerves, and the paired

sympathetic chain The sympathetic trunks (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) are a paired bundle of nerve fibers that run from the base of the skull to the coccyx. They are a major component of the sympathetic nervous system. Structure The sympathetic trunk lies j ...

s, * lymphatics including the thoracic duct. It contains three potential spaces lined with

mesothelium The mesothelium is a membrane composed of simple squamous epithelial cells of mesodermal origin, which forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura (pleural cavity around the lungs), peritoneum (abdominopelvic cavity including the mesente ...

: the paired

pleural cavities The pleural cavity, pleural space, or interpleural space is the potential space between the pleurae of the pleural sac that surrounds each lung. A small amount of serous pleural fluid is maintained in the pleural cavity to enable lubrication bet ...

and the pericardial cavity. The

comprises those organs which lie in the centre of the chest between the lungs. The cavity also contains two openings one at the top, the superior thoracic aperture also called the

, and a lower inferior thoracic aperture which is much larger than the inlet.

Clinical significance

If the pleural cavity is breached from the outside, as by a bullet wound or knife wound, a pneumothorax, or air in the cavity, may result. If the volume of air is significant, one or both lungs may collapse, which requires immediate medical attention.

Additional images

File:CT-Thorax-5.0-B31f.ogg, CT scan of the thorax (axial mediastinal window) File:COR-2-STND-CHEST.ogg, CT scan of the thorax (coronal lung window) File:COR-2-STND-CHEST-MEDIASTINUM.ogg, CT Scan of the Thorax (coronal mediastinal window) File:Blausen 0458 Heart ThoracicCavity.png, Illustration of heart in thoracic cavity File:Blausen 0467 HeartLocation.png, Illustration of heart position relative to the rib cage

References

External links

* {{Authority control

Structure

Clinical significance

Additional images

See also

References

External links