Pericardium

Lecturer Radiology
M Shah Zeb
Pericardium
The pericardium is a fibroserous sac that encloses the
heart and the roots of the great vessels. It has two layers, a
serous layer and a fibrous layer. The space between two
layers is called pericardial space or pericardial cavity. A
fluid is present in this space which is called pericardial
fluid. Its function is to restrict excessive movements of the
heart as a whole and to serve as a lubricated container in
which the different parts of the heart can contract. It also
protects the heart and great vessels against infection.
Position of Pericardium
The pericardium is present within the middle mediastinum, posterior to the body of the sternum and
the 2nd to the 6th costal cartilages and anterior to the 5th to the 8th thoracic vertebrae.

Layers of Pericardium
(1) Fibrous Pericardium

It is the strong fibrous part of the sac.

It is the superficial layer of the pericardium.
It is firmly attached below to the central tendon of the diaphragm.
It fuses with the outer coats of the great blood vessels
passing through it namely, the aorta, the pulmonary trunk,
the superior and inferior venae cavae, and the pulmonary
veins.
Itis attached in front to the sternum by the sternopericardial
ligaments.
This part of pericardium protect the heart, anchoring it to
the surrounding walls, and preventing it from overfilling
with blood.
(2) Serous pericardium
The serous pericardium lines the fibrous pericardium and coats
the heart. It is divided into two layers, Parietal and Visceral
layers.

Parietal pericardium
The parietal layer is fused to and inseparable from the fibrous
pericardium,
visceral pericardium
The visceral pericardium is the part of the epicardium.

(When the visceral layer of serous pericardium comes into contact

with heart (not the great vessels) it is known as the epicardium.)
Nerve Supply of the Pericardium

The fibrous pericardium and the parietal layer of the serous pericardium are supplied
by the phrenic nerves.
The visceral layer of the serous pericardium is supplied by branches of the
sympathetic trunks and the vagus nerves.
Blood supply of pericardium

Fibrous pericardium and the parietal layer of serous pericardium is supplied by

pericardiophrenic and musculophrenic arteries which are the branches of internal
thoracic artery.
Visceral layer of serous pericardium is supplied by the branches of coronary arteries.
The veins drains into azygos veins and pericardiophrenic
veins and then into internal thoracic vein.
Thank You