mediastinum

mediastinum
—mediastinal, adj.
/mee'dee a stuy"neuhm/, n., pl. mediastina /-a stuy"neuh/. Anat.
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.
[1535-45; < NL; cf. mediastinus of middle class, appar. identical with L mediast(r)inus a low-ranking slave, perh. deriv. of medius MID1, though sense and formation unclear]

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      the anatomic region located between the lungs that contains all the principal tissues and organs of the chest except the lungs. It extends from the sternum, or breastbone, back to the vertebral column and is bounded laterally by the pericardium, the membrane enclosing the heart, and the mediastinal pleurae, membranes that are continuous with those lining the thoracic cage. The mediastinum is a division of the thoracic cavity; it contains the heart, thymus gland, portions of the esophagus and trachea, and other structures. For clinical purposes it is traditionally divided into the anterior, middle, posterior, and superior regions.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Mediastinum — Mediastinum. The division between superior and inferior is at the sternal angle …   Wikipedia

  • Mediastīnum — (lat.), Mittelfell; daher Media stinītis, Mittelfellentzündung …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Mediastīnum — (lat.), Mittelfell, s. Brustfell …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Mediastinum — Mediastīnum (lat.), das Mittel , Zwischenfell, das die Brusthöhle in zwei gleiche Teile teilt …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Mediastinum —   [neulateinisch, zu lateinisch medius »mittlerer«] das, s/...na, Anatomie: das Mittelfell.   …   Universal-Lexikon

  • mediastinum — [mē΄dē as tī′nəm] n. pl. mediastina [mē΄dē as tī′nə] [ModL < ML mediastinus, in the middle (form infl. by L mediastinus, servant, medical assistant) < L medius, middle: see MID1] 1. a membranous partition between two cavities of the body,… …   English World dictionary

  • Mediastinum — Organe des Mediastinums Das Mediastinum, deutsch Mittelfell, ist ein senkrecht verlaufender Gewebsraum in der Brusthöhle. Es liegt in der Medianebene zwischen den beiden Pleurahöhlen und reicht vom Zwerchfell bis zum Hals. Das angrenzende… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mediastinum — The area between the lungs. The organs in this area include the heart and its large veins and arteries, the trachea, the esophagus, the bronchi, and lymph nodes. * * * 1. A septum between two parts of an organ or a cavity. 2. [TA] The median… …   Medical dictionary

  • Mediastinum — Mediastine Me di*as tine, Mediastinum Me di*as*ti num, n. [NL. mediastinum, fr. L. medius middle; cf. mediastinus helper, a menial servant, LL. mediastinus equiv. to medius: cf F. m[ e]diastin.] (Anat.) A partition; a septum; specifically, the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Mediastinum — Media|sti̱num [nlat. Bildung zu lat. medius = mittlerer] s; s, ...na: 1) „Mittelfell“, Mittelteil des Thoraxinnenraumes, der zwischen den beiden Pleurasäcken liegt und das Herz, die großen Gefäße, die Luftröhre und die Speiseröhre enthält. 2) in… …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

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