Thorax

7 true ribs, 3 false ribs, 2 floating ribs

A memory aid for true, false and floating ribs.

Apical, Posterior, Anterior; Lateral, Medial; Superior, Medial, Anterior, Lateral, Posterior basal

A mnemonic for the ten bronchopulmonary segments of the right lung.

Sternocleidomastoid, scalenes and pectorals for inspiration; abdominal wall for expiration

A memory aid for the muscles recruited in laboured breathing.

Aortic, Pulmonary, Tricuspid, Mitral

A mnemonic for the four cardiac auscultation areas in order.

Type I pneumocytes cover the surface, type II make surfactant, macrophages clean up

A mnemonic for the cell types lining the alveolus.

Anterior chest is mostly upper lobe; posterior chest is mostly lower lobe

A memory aid for which lobes are examined from the front and from the back.

Brachiocephalic trunk, left common carotid artery, left subclavian artery

A memory aid for the three branches of the aortic arch in order.

Aorta, Azygos vein, Thoracic duct

A mnemonic for the three structures passing through the aortic hiatus.

The narrow segment just distal to the left subclavian artery, tethered by the ligamentum arteriosum

A memory aid for the site of traumatic aortic injury.

Right sinus gives the right coronary artery, left sinus gives the left, the posterior sinus is non-coronary

A memory aid for the three aortic sinuses and the coronary arteries arising from them.

Fifth intercostal space in the mid-clavicular line

A memory aid for where the apex beat is normally felt.

Median over the aorta, medial over psoas major, lateral over quadratus lumborum

A memory aid for the three arcuate ligaments and what passes behind each.

Runs within the pericardium from the aortic valve to the sternal angle, with the pulmonary trunk in front

A memory aid for the course and relations of the ascending aorta.

The right main bronchus is Wider, Shorter and more Vertical

A mnemonic for why inhaled foreign bodies tend to enter the right lung.

Septum primum and septum secundum overlap to leave the flap valve of the foramen ovale

A memory aid for how the interatrial septum forms.

Ribs 1, 2, 10, 11 and 12 are atypical

A memory aid for which ribs are atypical and why.

The upper outer quadrant extends into the axilla through the deep fascia

A memory aid for the extension of breast tissue into the axilla.

A normal variant formed when the azygos vein cuts through the apex of the right upper lobe

A memory aid for the anatomy of an azygos lobe.

Azygos on the right, hemiazygos and accessory hemiazygos on the left

A memory aid for the arrangement of the azygos, hemiazygos and accessory hemiazygos veins.

A valveless network connecting thoracic, pelvic and vertebral veins

A memory aid for the valveless venous plexus linking the thorax to the spine.

Brachiocephalic veins, Aortic arch, Thymus, Trachea, Lymphatics, (o)Esophagus

A mnemonic for the contents of the superior mediastinum.

Hypotension, raised jugular venous pressure, muffled heart sounds

A mnemonic for the three signs of cardiac tamponade.

Alveolar epithelium, fused basement membranes, capillary endothelium

A memory aid for the layers gas crosses between alveolus and capillary.

Internal thoracic perforators, lateral thoracic, thoracoacromial and posterior intercostal arteries

A memory aid for the arteries supplying the breast.

About 75 per cent to the axillary nodes, most of the rest to the parasternal nodes

A memory aid for where lymph from the breast drains.

Fifteen to twenty lobes, each draining by a lactiferous duct to the nipple

A memory aid for the internal structure of the breast.

Trachea, main, lobar, segmental bronchi, then bronchioles, terminal and respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and sacs

A memory aid for the order of airway divisions from trachea to alveolus.

Pulmonary vessels carry blood for gas exchange; bronchial vessels nourish the lung tissue

A memory aid for the two separate blood supplies of the lung.

Ten segments on the right, eight to ten on the left

A memory aid for the number of bronchopulmonary segments in each lung.

C3, C4 and C5 contribute to the phrenic nerve

A mnemonic for the spinal roots of the phrenic nerve.

Sympathetic from T1 to T5, parasympathetic from the vagus

A memory aid for the autonomic innervation of the heart.

Right border is right atrium; left border is aortic knuckle, pulmonary trunk, left atrial appendage and left ventricle

A memory aid for which chambers form the cardiac silhouette on a chest radiograph.

Sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, bundle of His, bundle branches, Purkinje fibres

A memory aid for the sequence of the cardiac conducting system.

Four fibrous rings that anchor the valves, attach the myocardium and insulate atria from ventricles

A memory aid for the functions of the fibrous skeleton of the heart.

Cardiac afferents enter the cord at T1 to T4 and are misattributed to those dermatomes

A memory aid for why cardiac pain is felt in the chest, arm and jaw.

Coronary sulcus between atria and ventricles, interventricular sulci between the ventricles

A memory aid for the grooves on the surface of the heart and the vessels they carry.

Maximum cardiac width divided by maximum thoracic width, normally less than 0.5

A memory aid for measuring heart size on a chest radiograph.

The carina lies at the level of the sternal angle, T4 to T5

A memory aid for the level of the tracheal bifurcation.

Inferior vena cava and the right phrenic nerve

A memory aid for the structures passing through the caval opening of the diaphragm.

The apex rises 2 to 3 cm above the medial third of the clavicle

A memory aid for how far the lung apex and pleura project into the neck.

Skin, fascia, muscle, three intercostal layers, endothoracic fascia, parietal pleura

A memory aid for the layers crossed when passing a needle into the pleural cavity.

Collateral flow through enlarged posterior intercostal arteries erodes the lower rib borders

A memory aid for why aortic coarctation causes notching of the ribs.

The main bundle lies in the costal groove above, but a collateral branch runs along the rib below

A memory aid for why a needle should still avoid the lower border of an intercostal space.

Generations 0 to 16 conduct air; generations 17 to 23 exchange gas

A memory aid for the division of the airway into conducting and respiratory zones.

Bochdalek is Back and to the Left; Morgagni is anterior and to the right

A mnemonic for the two sites of congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Fibrous septa from the dermis to the pectoral fascia that tether the breast

A memory aid for the suspensory ligaments of the breast and the sign they produce.

Dominance is decided by whichever artery gives the posterior descending branch, the right in about 85 per cent

A memory aid for what determines coronary dominance and which artery supplies the conducting nodes.

The left coronary artery fills in diastole, when the myocardium is relaxed

A memory aid for when the coronary arteries actually fill.

Great, middle and small cardiac veins, posterior vein of the left ventricle and the oblique vein of the left atrium

A memory aid for the veins draining into the coronary sinus.

Formed by the cartilages of ribs 7 to 10, meeting at the xiphisternum

A memory aid for the formation of the costal margin and the significance of the subcostal angle.

The head articulates with two vertebral bodies; the tubercle articulates with one transverse process

A memory aid for the two joints anchoring a rib to the vertebral column.

Descending aorta, Azygos system, Thoracic duct, (o)Esophagus, Sympathetic chain

A mnemonic for the contents of the posterior mediastinum.

Pericardiacophrenic, musculophrenic and superior phrenic arteries above; inferior phrenic arteries below

A memory aid for the arteries supplying the diaphragm from above and below.

Septum transversum, pleuroperitoneal membranes, dorsal mesentery of the oesophagus, and body wall

A mnemonic for the four embryological contributions to the diaphragm.

Sternal, costal and lumbar parts, all converging on the central tendon

A memory aid for the three parts of the diaphragm's origin.

Ductus venosus, foramen ovale, ductus arteriosus

A mnemonic for the three shunts of the fetal circulation.

Ductus arteriosus becomes ligamentum arteriosum, ductus venosus becomes ligamentum venosum, umbilical vein becomes ligamentum teres

A memory aid for what each fetal vessel becomes after birth.

Vein in front of the scalene tubercle, artery and lower trunk behind it

A memory aid for the order of structures crossing the first rib.

Right ventricle anteriorly, left ventricle laterally, left atrium at the base

A memory aid for which chamber forms each surface of the heart.

Tricuspid has anterior, posterior and septal cusps; mitral has anterior and posterior

A memory aid for the names of the cusps of each heart valve.

The left hilum is normally higher than the right, never lower

A memory aid for the normal position of the lung hila on a chest film.

IVC at T8, oesophagus at T10, aorta at T12

A mnemonic for the vertebral levels of the three major diaphragmatic apertures.

Posterior intercostals from the aorta; anterior intercostals from the internal thoracic and musculophrenic arteries

A memory aid for where the anterior and posterior intercostal arteries come from.

External intercostals run downwards and forwards, like hands in pockets

A memory aid for the fibre direction of the external and internal intercostal muscles.

Collateral, lateral cutaneous and anterior cutaneous branches, plus rami communicantes

A memory aid for the branches of a typical intercostal nerve.

Anterior intercostal, perforating and pericardiacophrenic branches, ending as superior epigastric and musculophrenic arteries

A memory aid for the branches and terminal division of the internal thoracic artery.

A large muscular part and a small membranous part

A memory aid for the two parts of the interventricular septum.

Left Anterior, Right Posterior

A mnemonic for the position of the vagal trunks on the oesophagus.

It crosses the midline behind the manubrium to reach the superior vena cava

A memory aid for why the left brachiocephalic vein is longer than the right.

Left anterior descending and circumflex arteries

A memory aid for the branches of the left coronary artery and the territory they supply.

Apicoposterior, anterior, superior and inferior lingular; superior and three or four basal segments

A memory aid for the bronchopulmonary segments of the left lung.

Thick wall, fine trabeculae carneae, two papillary muscles, no moderator band

A memory aid for how to recognise the left ventricle.

Right crus sling, angle of His, abdominal segment, mucosal rosette and the phreno-oesophageal ligament

A memory aid for the anatomical factors preventing gastro-oesophageal reflux.

Embryonic, Pseudoglandular, Canalicular, Saccular, Alveolar

A mnemonic for the five stages of lung development.

Pulmonary vein anterior and inferior, pulmonary artery next, bronchus posterior

A memory aid for the arrangement of structures at the lung root.

Right lung has three lobes and two fissures; left lung has two lobes and one fissure

A memory aid for the lobes and fissures of each lung.

Pulmonary, bronchopulmonary, tracheobronchial, then paratracheal nodes

A memory aid for the sequence of lymph node groups draining the lung.

Right lung is grooved by the azygos vein and superior vena cava; the left by the aortic arch and descending aorta

A memory aid for the grooves on the mediastinal surface of each lung.

Superior mediastinum above the sternal angle; anterior, middle and posterior below it

A memory aid for how the mediastinum is divided.

Pushed away by extra volume, pulled towards by lost volume

A mnemonic for which way the mediastinum moves in thoracic disease.

Heart and pericardium, roots of the great vessels, main bronchi, phrenic nerves

A memory aid for what lies in the middle mediastinum.

Along the mammary ridge, running from the axilla to the groin

A memory aid for where accessory nipples and breast tissue occur.

Long thoracic, thoracodorsal and intercostobrachial nerves

A memory aid for the nerves that can be injured during axillary surgery.

Cricopharyngeus, aortic arch, left main bronchus and the diaphragmatic hiatus

A memory aid for the four normal constrictions of the oesophagus.

Oesophagus, anterior and posterior vagal trunks, and the oesophageal branches of the left gastric vessels

A memory aid for the structures passing through the oesophageal hiatus.

Upper third striated, middle third mixed, lower third smooth

A memory aid for the change from striated to smooth muscle down the oesophagus.

Trachea and heart in front, vertebral column and aorta behind, arch and azygos to the sides

A memory aid for the structures related to the thoracic oesophagus.

Upper oesophagus drains systemically; the lower third drains to the left gastric vein and the portal system

A memory aid for the portosystemic anastomosis at the lower oesophagus.

Cervical, thoracic and abdominal parts, totalling about 25 cm

A memory aid for the three parts of the oesophagus and its overall length.

Left phrenic nerve, superior epigastric vessels, splanchnic nerves, hemiazygos vein and lymphatics

A memory aid for the smaller structures crossing the diaphragm beyond the three main openings.

Costal, mediastinal, diaphragmatic and cervical pleura

A memory aid for the four named regions of the parietal pleura.

Level I lateral to pectoralis minor, level II behind it, level III medial to it

A memory aid for how the axillary lymph nodes are staged surgically.

Transverse sinus behind the great arteries; oblique sinus behind the left atrium

A memory aid for the two pericardial sinuses and their surgical relevance.

Enter at Larrey's point, left of the xiphoid, aiming for the left shoulder at 30 degrees

A memory aid for the subxiphoid approach to the pericardium.

Fibrous pericardium, parietal serous layer, pericardial cavity, visceral serous layer

A memory aid for the layers of the pericardium from outside in.

Third makes carotid, fourth makes arch and subclavian, sixth makes pulmonary and ductus

A memory aid for the adult vessels derived from each pharyngeal arch artery.

Phrenic nerve passes in Front of the lung root; the vagus passes behind

A mnemonic for the relationship of the phrenic and vagus nerves to the lung root.

Right phrenic runs on the superior vena cava and pericardium; left phrenic crosses the aortic arch

A memory aid for the asymmetric course of the two phrenic nerves.

Parietal pleura is somatically innervated and painful; visceral pleura is autonomic and insensitive

A mnemonic for why parietal pleura hurts and visceral pleura does not.

Costodiaphragmatic and costomediastinal recesses

A memory aid for the pleural recesses and their clinical importance.

Truncus arteriosus, bulbus cordis, primitive ventricle, primitive atrium and sinus venosus

A memory aid for what each segment of the primitive heart tube becomes.

A double fold of pleura hanging below the lung root

A memory aid for what the pulmonary ligament is and why it exists.

Divides into right and left pulmonary arteries below the aortic arch at about T5

A memory aid for the course of the pulmonary trunk and its division.

Four veins, two from each lung, draining to the left atrium

A memory aid for the number and arrangement of the pulmonary veins.

Upper ribs move like a pump handle, lower ribs like a bucket handle

A mnemonic for the two movements of the ribs during inspiration.

Right Anterior, Left Superior

A mnemonic for pulmonary artery position at the lung hilum.

A layer of loose areolar tissue between the breast and pectoral fascia

A memory aid for the plane behind the breast and why it matters.

Upper ribs suggest severe force, lower ribs threaten abdominal organs, multiple ribs risk flail chest

A memory aid for the significance of rib fractures at different levels.

Crista terminalis, pectinate muscles, fossa ovalis and the openings of the venae cavae and coronary sinus

A memory aid for the internal landmarks of the right atrium.

The liver pushes the right dome up; the heart presses the left dome down

A memory aid for why the right hemidiaphragm lies higher than the left.

The right head and neck, right arm and right thorax, the right upper quadrant of the body

A memory aid for which parts of the body drain to the right lymphatic duct.

Lung borders cross ribs 6, 8 and 10; pleural borders cross ribs 8, 10 and 12

A mnemonic for the surface markings of the lung and pleural borders.

Arises from the outer surface of the upper eight or nine ribs, supplied by the long thoracic nerve

A memory aid for the thoracic wall attachment of serratus anterior and its nerve.

Serratus posterior superior elevates the upper ribs, serratus posterior inferior depresses the lower ribs

A memory aid for the small accessory muscles acting on the ribs from behind.

Loss of a normal border means the abnormality is in contact with that structure

A memory aid for localising lung pathology by which border it obscures.

Greater T5 to T9, lesser T10 to T11, least T12

A memory aid for the spinal levels of the thoracic splanchnic nerves.

The angle of Louis marks T4/T5, the second costal cartilage, the carina and the limits of the aortic arch

A memory aid for the many structures that lie at the level of the sternal angle.

A saddle-shaped synovial joint with an articular disc, the sole articulation of the limb with the trunk

A memory aid for the only bony joint between the upper limb and the axial skeleton.

Manubrium, body and xiphoid process, with marrow aspirated from the body at the level of the second space

A memory aid for the three parts of the sternum and the site of sternal puncture.

Superior intercostal artery from the costocervical trunk; superior intercostal vein to the brachiocephalic or azygos vein

A memory aid for the vessels of the upper two intercostal spaces.

Union of the right and left brachiocephalic veins, with the azygos vein as its only named tributary

A memory aid for how the superior vena cava is formed and what drains into it.

Runs on the heads of the ribs, with about eleven or twelve ganglia and the stellate ganglion at its upper end

A memory aid for the course of the thoracic sympathetic chain.

A one-way valve traps air, raising intrathoracic pressure and obstructing venous return

A memory aid for why a tension pneumothorax causes cardiovascular collapse.

Thymoma, Teratoma, Thyroid (retrosternal), Terrible lymphoma

A mnemonic for the differential diagnosis of an anterior mediastinal mass.

Bronchial, oesophageal, mediastinal and pericardial branches, plus posterior intercostal and subcostal arteries

A memory aid for the visceral and parietal branches of the descending thoracic aorta.

T4 at the nipple, T6 at the xiphoid, T10 at the umbilicus, L1 at the groin

A mnemonic for the key dermatome levels on the trunk.

Begins at the cisterna chyli, crosses to the left at T5, drains into the left venous angle

A memory aid for the course and drainage of the thoracic duct.

Trachea and oesophagus centrally, with vessels and nerves on either side

A memory aid for the structures passing through the superior thoracic aperture.

Parietal nodes drain the wall; visceral nodes drain the organs

A memory aid for the parietal and visceral lymph node groups of the thorax.

Costal facets on the body and transverse process, with long downward-sloping spinous processes

A memory aid for what distinguishes a thoracic vertebra.

T1 inlet, T4/5 sternal angle, T8 caval, T9 xiphisternum, T10 oesophagus, T12 aorta

A memory aid for the vertebral level of the main thoracic structures.

A triangular projection from the upper mediastinum in an infant, resembling a sail

A memory aid for the normal paediatric thymus on a chest radiograph.

A third pharyngeal pouch derivative lying in the anterior and superior mediastinum

A memory aid for the location and embryological origin of the thymus.

Pushed away by pneumothorax and effusion; pulled towards by collapse and fibrosis

A memory aid for the causes of tracheal deviation and their direction.

Aortic arch and great vessels in front and to the left, oesophagus behind

A memory aid for the structures around the trachea in the superior mediastinum.

Sixteen to twenty C-shaped cartilages, open posteriorly and bridged by the trachealis muscle

A memory aid for the structure of the trachea and why its cartilages are incomplete.

Proximal oesophageal atresia with a distal fistula in about 85 per cent

A memory aid for the commonest form of tracheo-oesophageal fistula.

Transversus thoracis in front, innermost intercostals laterally, subcostals behind

A memory aid for the three components of the innermost layer of the thoracic wall.

Lateral border of pectoralis major, anterior border of latissimus dorsi, and a line above the fifth intercostal space

A memory aid for the boundaries of the safe triangle for chest drain insertion.

Anterior, posterior and septal papillary muscles, with the moderator band to the anterior muscle

A memory aid for the papillary muscles and the moderator band in the right ventricle.

Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Mitral, Aortic

A mnemonic for the order in which blood passes the four heart valves.

Recurrent laryngeal, cardiac, pulmonary and oesophageal branches

A memory aid for the thoracic branches of the vagus nerve.

Vein, Artery, Nerve

A mnemonic for the intercostal neurovascular bundle order.