The esophagus is a muscular tube that starts as the continuation of the pharynx with the upper esophageal sphincter (UES), or cricopharyngeus, and ends with the lower esophageal sphincter at the fundus of the stomach. Knowledge of the anatomy of…
Definition Different congenital diaphragmatic anomalies include one or more defects that allow for herniation of abdominal contents into the chest. However, the term congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), also referred to as Bochdalek hernia, refers specifically to congenital defects located on…
And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. … He only says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” ROBERT FROST, “MENDING WALL”…
Pleural Embryology and Anatomy The pleura is a thin continuous membrane that separates during embryologic development into two layers as the developing lung buds encroach on the pleural cavity. The component of the pleural membrane that envelopes the lung is…
Malignant Pleural Effusions Pleural effusions are common clinical problems occurring in more than 1 million patients each year. In some settings, up to 22% of these effusions are caused by malignant disease and more than 100,000 malignant effusions require treatment…
Definition Chylothorax is the collection of an excessive amount of chyle in the pleural space. The continued loss of chyle, which can add up to 2 to 3 liters a day after a thoracic duct injury, leads to significant depletion…
Epidemiology In the United States, empyema is seen in approximately 60,000 patients annually, with a mortality rate of 15%. Approximately 50% of empyemas in the United States today result from pneumonia. Pleural infection may also result from lung surgery, trauma,…
The term pneumothorax was first coined by Jean Marc Gaspard Itard in 1803, when he called attention to five cases in which free air was found in the thorax after trauma. Derived from the Greek words pneuma (air) and thorakos…
† Deceased. Thoracic outlet syndrome, a term coined by Rob and Standover, refers to compression of the subclavian vessels and brachial plexus at the superior aperture of the chest. It was previously designated, according to presumed etiologies, as scalenus anticus,…
Chest wall tumors are relatively rare tumors that include a variety of soft tissue and bone tumors. Although rarely seen by physicians practicing in a nonspecialized practice, patients who have these tumors need careful consideration because the evaluation and management…