pericardium

(noun)

A serous membrane that surrounds and protects the heart.

Related Terms

Examples of pericardium in the following topics:

  • Pericardium

    • The pericardium is composed of two layers, an outer fibrous pericardium and an inner serous pericardium.
    • The fibrous pericardium is the outer layer of the pericardium.
    • The serous pericardium, the inner layer of the pericardium, is composed of two different layers.
    • The outer layer, the parietal layer, is completely adhered to the fibrous pericardium.
    • Despite these functions, the pericardium is still vulnerable to problems of its own.

  • Pericarditis

    • Pericarditis is a swelling of the pericardium, the protective, fibrous sac surrounding the heart.
    • Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium, which is the fibrous sac surrounding the heart .
    • The causes of pericarditis are varied, including viral infections of the pericardium, idiopathic causes, uremic pericarditis, bacterial infections of the pericardium (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis), post-infarct pericarditis (pericarditis due to heart attack), or Dressler's pericarditis.
    • This can be seen in patients who are experiencing the classic signs of pericarditis but then show signs of relief, and progress to show signs of cardiac tamponade which include decreased alertness and lethargy, pulsus paradoxus (decrease of at least 10 mmHg of the systolic blood pressure upon inspiration), hypotension (due to decreased cardiac index), JVD (jugular vein distention from right sided heart failure and fluid overload), distant heart sounds on auscultation, and equilibration of all the diastolic blood pressures on cardiac catheterization due to the constriction of the pericardium by the fluid.
    • In such cases of cardiac tamponade, EKG or Holter monitor will then depict electrical alterans indicating wobbling of the heart in the fluid filled pericardium, and the capillary refill might decrease, as well as severe vascular collapse and altered mental status due to hypoperfusion of body organs by a heart that cannot pump out blood effectively.

  • Ascending Aorta

    • The ascending aorta is contained within the pericardium.
    • It is enclosed in a tube of the serous pericardium, which also encloses the pulmonary artery.
    • The ascending aorta is covered at its beginning by the trunk of the pulmonary artery and, higher up, is separated from the sternum by the pericardium, the right pleura, the anterior margin of the right lung, some loose areolar tissue, and the remains of the thymus.

  • Anatomy of the Heart

    • The heart is enclosed in a double-walled protective membrane called the pericardium, which is a mesothelium tissue of the thoracic cavity.
    • The double membrane of pericardium contains pericardial fluid which nourishes the heart and prevents shock.
    • The outer layer is called the epicardium, or visceral pericardium, since it is also the inner wall of the pericardium.

  • The Complement System and Heart Disease

    • Pericarditis: Here the pericardium gets inflamed.
    • After healing, there may be fibrosis and adhesion of the pericardium with the heart, leading to constriction of the heart and reduced cardiac function.

  • Serosa

    • For the heart, the surrounding serous membranes include: outer, inner, parietal pericardium and visceral pericardium (epicardium).

  • Layers of the Heart Walls

    • The epicardium refers to both the outer layer of the heart and the inner layer of the serous visceral pericardium, which is attached to the outer wall of the heart.
    • The epicardium is a thin layer of elastic connective tissue and fat that serves as an additional layer of protection from trauma or friction for the heart under the pericardium.

  • Injuries to the Phrenic Nerves

    • In the thorax, each phrenic nerve supplies the mediastinal pleura and pericardium.

  • Thoracic Aorta

    • The thoracic aorta's relation, from above downward, is as follows: anteriorly with the root of the left lung, the pericardium, the esophagus and the diaphragm; posteriorly with the vertebral column; on the right side with the hemiazygos veins and thoracic duct; and on the left side with the left pleura and lung.

  • Serous Membranes

    • The pleural and pericardial cavities are exaggerated since normally there is no space between parietal and visceral pleura and between pericardium and heart.