Expansion
Aortic arch and great vessels in front and to the left, oesophagus behind
Expansion
Within the superior mediastinum:
- Anteriorly - the left brachiocephalic vein, the brachiocephalic trunk and left common carotid artery, the aortic arch, and the remnants of the thymus
- Posteriorly - the oesophagus, and behind it the vertebral column
- To the left - the aortic arch, the left common carotid and subclavian arteries, and the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in the tracheo-oesophageal groove
- To the right - the azygos vein arching forwards, the right vagus nerve, and the right pleura
The tracheo-oesophageal groove is the key surgical landmark: it carries the recurrent laryngeal nerve on each side, and it is the plane dissected in thyroid and oesophageal surgery.