What is the purpose of costomediastinal recess?

The costomediastinal recess is a potential space at the border of the mediastinal pleura and the costal pleura. It assists lung expansion during deep inspiration, although its role is not as significant as the costodiaphragmatic recess, which has a greater volume.

What does fluid in the pericardial recess mean?

A pericardial recess with prominent fluid may simulate hypodense lymphadenopathy or a cystic mass, especially in the setting of known primary malignancy. The superior aortic recess is the upward extension of the transverse sinus of the pericardial cavity, and seen in 47% of patients without known pericardial disease.

What is the purpose of the Costodiaphragmatic and costomediastinal recess?

These allow for expansion during forced respiration. The costomediastinal recess is located anteriorly where the costal and mediastinal pleura meet. The costodiaphragmatic recess is the most clinically important, as most fluid collections pool here. The pleural cavity always maintains a negative pressure.

What is superior pericardial recess?

The pericardial recesses are small spaces in the pericardial cavity arising from the transverse pericardial sinus that are formed by the reflections of the pericardium. Pericardial fluid can pool in these recesses, mimicking mediastinal lymph nodes or pathology.

How serious is fluid around the heart?

This condition is called pericardial effusion. Fluid around the heart puts a strain on this organ’s ability to pump blood efficiently. This condition can have serious complications, including death, if it isn’t treated.

What is Costodiaphragmatic angle?

In anatomy, the costophrenic angles are the places where the diaphragm (-phrenic) meets the ribs (costo-). Each costophrenic angle can normally be seen as on chest x-ray as a sharply-pointed, downward indentation (dark) between each hemi-diaphragm (white) and the adjacent chest wall (white).

Where is pericardial recess?

The oblique sinus extends superiorly behind the right pulmonary artery and medial to the bronchus intermedius, where it is called the posterior pericardial recess. Fluid in the posterior pericardial recess may be mistaken for peribronchial or subcarinal lymph nodes (,Fig 14,,).