Boundaries

• anteriorly by the pericardium
  Pericardium
  The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels.-Layers:...
  
   (in front of)
• inferiorly by the thoracic surface of the diaphragm (below).
• superiorly by the transverse thoracic plane
  Thoracic plane
  The thoracic plane or transthoracic plane is a geometric plane used to divide the mediastinum into the superior mediastinum and the inferior mediastinum....
  
   (above). This plane is marked by an imaginary line travelling through the manubriosternal joint to the dividing line between the fourth and fifth thoracic vertebrae.
• posteriorally by the bodies of the vertebral column
  Vertebral column
  In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
  
   from the lower border of the fifth to the twelfth thoracic vertebra (behind).
• laterally: by the mediastinal pleura
  Mediastinal pleura
  Different portions of the parietal pleura have received special names which indicate their position: thus, that portion which lines the inner surfaces of the ribs and Intercostales is the costal pleura; that clothing the convex surface of the diaphragm is the diaphragmatic pleura; that which rises...
  
   (on either side)

Content

• artery
  • thoracic part
    Thoracic aorta
    The thoracic aorta is contained in the posterior mediastinal cavity.It begins at the lower border of the fourth thoracic vertebra where it is continuous with the aortic arch, and ends in front of the lower border of the twelfth thoracic vertebra, at the aortic hiatus in the diaphragm where it...
    
     of the descending aorta
    Descending aorta
    The descending aorta is part of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. The descending aorta is the part of the aorta beginning at the aortic arch that runs down through the chest and abdomen. The descending aorta is divided into two portions, the thoracic and abdominal, in correspondence with...
    
    
• veins
  • azygos vein
    Azygos vein
    The azygos vein is a vein running up the right side of the thoracic vertebral column. It can also provide an alternate path for blood to the right atrium by allowing the blood to flow between the venae cavae when one vena cava is blocked.-Structure:...
    
    
  • the hemiazygos vein
    Hemiazygos vein
    The hemiazygos vein is a vein running superiorly in the lower thoracic region, just to the left side of the vertebral column.-Structure:...
    
     and the accessory hemiazygos vein
    Accessory hemiazygos vein
    The accessory hemiazygos vein is a vein on the left side of the vertebral column that generally drains the fifth through eighth intercostal spaces on the left side of the body.-Structure:...
    
    
• nerves
  • vagus nerve
    Vagus nerve
    The vagus nerve , also called pneumogastric nerve or cranial nerve X, is the tenth of twelve paired cranial nerves...
    
    
  • splanchnic nerves
    Splanchnic nerves
    The splanchnic nerves are paired nerves that contribute to the innervation of the viscera, carrying fibers of the autonomic nervous system as well as sensory fibers from the organs...
    
     (but not the sympathetic chain)
• esophagus
  Esophagus
  The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
  
  
• thoracic duct
  Thoracic duct
  In human anatomy, the thoracic duct of the lymphatic system is the largest lymphatic vessel in the body. It is also known as the left lymphatic duct, alimentary duct, chyliferous duct, and Van Hoorne's canal....
  
  
• some lymph glands

External links

• Lab Manual - umich.edu