Bassett Collection Large Image - Lane Medical Library, Stanford University Medical Center

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Dissection of mediastinum and paravertebral structures

Upper thoracic part of right sympathetic trunk; intercostal vessels; azygos vein; right vagus nerve; pulmonary and esophageal plexuses

The tracheobronchial tree has been pulled forward and to the left and the esophagus has been rotated slightly to the left.

1 .	Posterior mediastinal lymph node
2 .	Rib III
3 .	Sympathetic trunk
4 .	Ramus communicans (aberrant rami similar to this, which cross a rib to the next lower intercostal nerve, are present in several places on both sides of this specimen)
5 .	Thoracic ganglion
6 .	Azygos vein (cut off)
7 .	Ramus communicans
8 .	Lymph vessel
9 .	Intercostal artery and vein VI
10 .	Greater splanchnic nerve
11 .	Vagus nerve right (several esophageal and tracheal branches visible along course of nerve)
12 .	Brachiocephalic trunk
13 .	Thoracic cardiac nerve (these nerves also send branches into pulmonary plexus)
14 .	Aortic arch
15 .	Trachea
16 .	Pulmonary plexus
17 .	Inferior tracheobronchial lymph node
18 .	Esophagus
19 .	Thoracic aorta