What Is the Pericardial Cavity?

The closed fissure formed by the visceral and parietal layers of the serous pericardium is called the pericardial cavity. The pericardial cavity is enlarged in some places and is called the pericardial sinus. It is mainly located between the posterior wall of the left atrium and the left and right pulmonary veins, the inferior vena cava, and the posterior wall of the pericardium, called the oblique sinus.

The closed fissure formed by the visceral and parietal layers of the serous pericardium is called the pericardial cavity. The pericardial cavity is enlarged in some places and is called the pericardial sinus. It is mainly located between the posterior wall of the left atrium and the left and right pulmonary veins, the inferior vena cava, and the posterior wall of the pericardium.

Chinese name

Pericardial cavity

nickname

Pericardial sinus

Classification

Serous pericardial cavity and fibrous pericardial cavity

Function

Contains a small amount of slurry, which acts as a lubricant

Overview of the pericardial cavity :

The portion between the ascending aorta (ascending aorta), pulmonary artery, superior vena cava, and anterior wall of the left atrium is called the pericardial transverse sinus. During heart and large blood vessel surgery, large blood vessels can be clamped here to temporarily block blood flow.

The pericardial cavity contains a small amount of thin and transparent fluid called pericardial fluid. It acts as a lubricant to reduce friction during heart movement. This solution is a filtrate of serum and contains a small amount of protein (1.7 to 3.5%).

Pericardial cavity pericardium anatomy

It is a fibrous serosa sac structure that encloses the heart and the roots of large blood vessels. The outer layer is a tough and dense fibrous pericardium, and the inner serous pericardium is divided into parietal pericardium and visceral pericardium. The wall layer is lined on the inner surface of the fibrous pericardium, and the visceral layer is adhered to the surface of the heart, that is, the epicardium. The roots of the large blood vessels entering and leaving the heart are the reciprocal lines of the visceral and parietal layers. Between the visceral layer and the parietal layer is a narrow gap closed pericardial cavity. Contains a small amount of slurry to play a smooth role. There are many large blood vessels entering and exiting the pericardium at the bottom of the heart. The serosal wall and the visceral layer are folded back to form the obligue sinus of peri-cardium and transverse sinus of pericardium. Both sinuses are part of the pericardial cavity and have certain practical significance in cardiac surgery. The anterolateral, lateral and posterolateral of the pericardium are connected to the pleura, and the phrenic nerves and pericardial iliac vessels are located between the fibrous pericardium and the mediastinal pleura. At the thymic heart notch, the pericardium is in direct contact with the sternum and the left sternum. This area is called the naked region of pericardium. Here, you can make a connection between the left nipple and the lower end of the midline of the sternum, use the midpoint of the connection as the center, and make a 5cm diameter circle. This circle roughly indicates the range of the naked area. In addition to the pericardial fixation device above the patellar central tendon, there are still sternal pericardial ligaments and large blood vessels entering and leaving the heart. Because the pericardium is not fully fused with the central iliac tendon, they can still be separated in most areas, which is conducive to stripping the front of the diaphragm. In the anterior midline thoracoabdominal incision, it is not necessary to cut the heart cavity and cut the diaphragm. The pericardium has a protective effect on the heart, can prevent surrounding infections from spreading to the heart; restricts the expansion of the heart, and prevents the heart from rupturing quickly when the intracardiac pressure rises. When chronic inflammation of the pericardium results in the formation of connective tissue hyperplasia and scarring, constrictive pericarditis can have serious effects on cardiac function. The pericardial variation is mainly pericardial defect, with the left part defect being the most common. If the defect is large and accompanied by a corresponding pleural defect, the pericardial cavity and the pleural cavity can be communicated. There are also pericardial cysts and pericardial diverticulum.