Mediastinum (Noun)
Meaning
The part of the thoracic cavity between the lungs that contains the heart and aorta and esophagus and trachea and thymus.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The chest X-ray revealed an unusual shadow in the mediastinum that warranted further investigation.
- The surgical team worked to carefully separate the thymus from the surrounding tissue in the mediastinum.
- An abnormal widening of the mediastinum on a CT scan may be an indicator of mediastinitis, an inflammatory condition of the area.
- In mammals, the trachea lies within the mediastinum and connects the throat to the bronchi.
- An aortic dissection occurs when a tear develops in the lining of the aorta as it descends through the mediastinum.