relations
Last reviewed 01/2018
The thoracic inlet is traversed by:
- in the median plane, from anterior to posterior:
- sternohyoid anterior to sternothyroid muscles
- thymic remnants
- inferior thyroid veins
- trachea
- tracheo-oesophageal sulcus containing the recurrent laryngeal nerves
- oesophagus
- thoracic duct displaced to the left
- longus colli muscles
- anterior longitudinal ligament
- laterally:
- on both sides:
- cervical pleura overlying apex of lung
- internal thoracic artery anteriorly
- posteriorly, from medial to lateral:
- sympathetic trunk
- superior intercostal artery
- ventral ramus of first thoracic nerve
- on the left:
- left common carotid artery
- left subclavian artery
- left vagus nerve between common carotid and subclavian
- left brachiocephalic vein
- left phrenic nerve
- on the right:
- brachiocephalic trunk
- right vagus nerve, lateral to brachiocephalic trunk
- right brachiocephalic vein
- right phrenic nerve, lateral to brachiocephalic vein
recurrent laryngeal nerve (anatomy)
anterior longitudinal ligament (anatomy)
internal thoracic artery (anatomy)
superior intercostal arteries (anatomy)
left common carotid artery (anatomy)
left subclavian artery (anatomy)
left brachiocephalic vein (anatomy)
brachiocephalic trunk (anatomy)