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Posterior wall of the pericardial sac, showing the lines of reflection of the serous pericardium on the great vessels
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A transverse section of the Thorax , showing the contents of the middle and the posterior Mediastinum The Pleural and Pericardial Cavities are exaggerated since normally there is no space between parietal and visceral pleura and between Pericardium and Heart
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Pericardium
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The is a double-walled sac that contains the
Heart and the roots of the great vessels.
There are two layers to this sac: the fibrous pericardium and the serous pericardium. The serous pericardium, in turn, is divided into two layers; in between these two layers there is a space called the pericardial cavity.
The is the most superficial layer. It is a dense
Connective Tissue layer which functions in protecting the heart, anchoring it to the surrounding walls, and preventing it from overfilling with
Blood . It is continuous with the
Outer Adventitial Layer of the neighboring great
Blood Vessel s.
The is deep to the fibrous pericardium. It contains two layers, both of which function in lubricating the heart to prevent friction from occurring during heart activity.
- The layer next to the fibrous pericardium is the parietal layer.
- The layer next to the heart is the visceral layer, also known as the Epicardium .
Together these two layers form a continuous uninterrupted membrane. Between these two layers exists a small cavity called the pericardial cavity, which contains a supply of
Serous Fluid .The serous fluid that is found in this space is known as the
Pericardial Fluid .
The fibrous pericardium and the parietal layer of the serous pericardium are
Sensory Innervated by the
Phrenic Nerve s (C3-C5). The epicardium receives
Autonomic Innervation from the underlying heart.
Pericarditis is
Inflammation of the pericardium. It can cause fluid to build up in the sac (
Pericardial Effusion ). Excessive amounts of fluid may lead to
Cardiac Tamponade by physically blocking the heart from beating properly or compression of the great vessels of the heart.
See
Pericardium (Zang) for a description of the pericardium according to the
Zang Fu Theory of
Traditional Chinese Medicine .
