The pericardium, also called a pericardial sac or pericardial sac, is the thin membrane that surrounds the heart muscle. It maintains the heart in the correct position, prevents it from moving in the chest, and protects against contact with organs in its immediate vicinity.
Pericardium(pericardial sac, pericardial sac, Latinsaccus pericardiacus ) is the membrane surrounding the heart, which consists of two parts - serous pericardium (Latinpericardium serosum ) and fibrous pericardium (Latinpericardium fibrosum ).
Fibrous pericardium
The fibrous pericardium forms the outer layer and consists of fibrous and compact connective tissue. It has three important functions:
- protective - the fibrous pericardium is strong enough to protect the heart in the event of an injury
- connections - there are fibrous connections between the pericardial areas and the sternum and diaphragm. The fibrous pericardium connects to the strong walls of the arteries that pass through them on the way to the heart. These connections allow the heart to anchor in the surrounding tissues
- preventing heart overflow - because the fibrous pericardium is not flexible, it prevents the heart from overflowing with inflowing blood beyond safe limits
Pericardium serowicze
It covers and surrounds the heart in the same way as the lung pleura. This part of the pericardium is made up of a thin membrane that consists of two plaques that merge into each other - this isvisceral pericardiumandwall pericardium .
The wall pericardium (plaque) lines the inner surface of the fibrous pericardium, returns and, in the vicinity of large blood vessels, passes to the surface of the heart, forming a visceral pericardium (visceral plaque), also known as the epicardium.
There is a narrow space between these two serous pericardium plaques, i.e.pericardial cavity . It is filled with a small amount of pericardial fluid. The presence of fluid and the slipperiness of both layers of the serous pericardium allow the ventricles to move freely in the pericardium during their contractions.
If the pericardial cavity fills with a large amount of fluid, for example during an infection or inflammation, the heart becomes compressed in a fibrousthe pericardial sac, which prevents it from functioning properly. Extreme cases of this situation are called cardiac tamponade. They are considered to be an immediate life-threatening condition.
Diseases of the pericardium
The pericardium, like all organs, is prone to a variety of medical conditions.
The most common is pericarditis. It usually develops as a result of an infection. Inflammation as a result of infection causes an overproduction of fluid in the pericardial cavity. Acute pericarditis can develop as a result of a heart attack or as a complication of surgery on the heart muscle. The cause of pericarditis can be:
- viral and bacterial infection
- uremia, related to chronic renal failure
- cancer
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- hypothyroidism
- connective tissue diseases
- overexposure to electromagnetic radiation
- abuse of certain medications (e.g. diuretics)
The main symptom of pericarditis is a sharp pain in the chest that worsens with coughing and lessens when sitting. Chest pain can take the form of a compression of pressure and radiate to your back, shoulder, or abdomen.
The characteristic pericardial friction (so-called crackling) can be heard by placing a stethoscope (medical receiver) in the area of the heart.
It is also necessary to examine the fluid collected from the pericardial sac and perform echocardiography, i.e. echocardiography, electrocardiography (EKG), chest x-rays, and blood tests.
In the event of pericarditis, the level of C-reactive protein and ESR increases.
To relieve the heart, the pericardial sac is punctured and excess fluid is collected. Pharmacological treatment consists of administering anti-inflammatory drugs and sometimes antibiotics or steroids.
Read also
- Constrictive pericarditis
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.
Read moreof this author's articles