Dissection of thorax from a posterior approach

Thoracic viscera.

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.
For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact the Medical History Center.

Image #132-7

Dissection of thorax from a posterior approach

Thoracic viscera.

The esophagus has been divided at the lower border of the second thoracic vertebra and again just above the diaphragm. The intervening portion of the esophagus has been removed to expose the trachea and pericardium. The latter has been opened to the margins of the oblique sinus.

1. Intervertebral disc Th. II-III
2. Esophagus (cut off)
3. Trachea
4. Upper pointer: Left subclavian artery Lower pointer: Left common carotid artery
5. Recurrent laryngeal nerve
6. Aortic arch (cut off at junction with descending aorta)
7. Left pulmonary artery
8. Upper pointer: Vagus nerve left (cut off) Lower pointer: Left main bronchus
9. Lung left
10. Left inferior pulmonary vein
11. Left atrium (exposed by removing pericardium from posterior wall of oblique sinus)
12. Left ventricle
13. Pericardium (cut margin)
14. Esophageal veins
15. Upper pointer: Esophagus cut off) Lower pointer: Margin of esophageal hiatus
16. Left pointer: Thoracic aorta (cut off) Right pointer: Thoracic duct (cut off)
17. Brachiocephalic trunk
18. Right vagus nerve
19. Right brachiocephalic vein
20. Azygos vein (cut off)
21. Right main bronchus
22. Bronchial branches thoracic aorta (cut off)
23. Right pulmonary artery
24. Upper pointer: Right superior pulmonary vein Lower pointer: Right inferior pulmonary vein
25. Right lung
26. Inferior vena cava
27. Diaphragm
28. Upper pointer: Greater splanchnic nerve Lower pointer: Intervertebral disc Th. XI-XII