mediastinum

American  

[mee-dee-a-stahy-nuhm] / ˌmi di æˈstaɪ nəm /

noun

Anatomy.

plural

mediastina

1. a median septum or partition between two parts of an organ, or paired cavities of the body.

2. the partition separating the right and left thoracic cavities, formed of the two inner pleural walls, and, in humans, comprising all the viscera of the thorax except the lungs.

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mediastinum British  

/ ˌmiːdɪəˈstaɪnəm /

noun

1. a membrane between two parts of an organ or cavity such as the pleural tissue between the two lungs

2. the part of the thoracic cavity that lies between the lungs, containing the heart, trachea, etc

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Other Word Forms

• mediastinal adjective

Etymology

Origin of mediastinum

1535–45; < New Latin; compare mediastīnus of middle class, apparently identical with Latin mediast ( r ) īnus a low-ranking slave, perhaps derivative of medius mid ¹, though sense and formation unclear

Example Sentences

As you can see in Figure 23.13, the esophagus runs a mainly straight route through the mediastinum of the thorax.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Each pericardial artery supplies blood to the pericardium, the esophageal artery provides blood to the esophagus, and the mediastinal artery provides blood to the mediastinum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Figure 19.2 Position of the Heart in the Thorax The heart is located within the thoracic cavity, medially between the lungs in the mediastinum.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Within the mediastinum, the heart is separated from the other mediastinal structures by a tough membrane known as the pericardium, or pericardial sac, and sits in its own space called the pericardial cavity.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Prompt thoracotomy for drainage may save the patient's life if the mediastinum has not also been infected.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier