| dissecting thoracic aorta | <surgery> A condition in which a weakened portion of the thoracic aorta begins to tear along the longitudinal axis of the vessel. Symptoms include sudden, severe chest pain that may radiate to the back accompanied by nausea, sweating and difficulty breathing. A common risk factor for this event is atherosclerotic vascular disease and-or hypertension. Advanced cases of syphilis (syphilitic aortitis) can also result in acute thoracic dissection as a complication of infection with Treponema pallidum. (11 Jan 1998) |
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| dorsal thoracic artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, subscapular; distribution, muscles of upper part of back; anastomoses, branches of lateral thoracic. Synonym: arteria thoracodorsalis, dorsal thoracic artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| inferior thoracic aperture | The inferior boundary of the bony thorax composed of the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the lower margins of the rib cage and sternum. Synonym: apertura thoracis inferior. (05 Mar 2000) |
| internal thoracic artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, subclavian; branches, pericardiacophrenic, anterior intercostal, sternal, mediastinal, thymic, bronchial, muscular, and perforating branches, and bifurcates into the musculophrenic and superior epigastric. Synonym: arteria thoracica interna, arteria mammaria interna, internal mammary artery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| internal thoracic lymphatic plexus | A lymphatic plexus, including the parasternal; (internal thoracic) lymph nodes, with their vessels, situated along the course of the internal thoracic veins. Synonym: mammary plexus, plexus mammarius. (05 Mar 2000) |
| internal thoracic plexus | An autonomic plexus on the internal thoracic artery derived from the subclavian plexus. Synonym: internal mammary plexus, plexus mammarius internus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| internal thoracic vein | <anatomy, vein> Venae comitantes of each artery of the same name, fusing into one at the upper part of the thorax and emptying into the brachiocephalic vein of the same side; receive drainage of anterior chest wall. Synonym: vena thoracica interna. (05 Mar 2000) |
| oesophageal branches of the thoracic aorta | Branches arising directly from the anterior aspect of the portion of the thoracic aorta adjacent to the oesophagus, by which most of the oesophagus is supplied. Synonym: rami oesophageales aortae thoracicae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thoracic | <anatomy> Pertaining to or affecting the chest. Origin: L. Thoracicus, Gr. Thorakikos (18 Nov 1997) |
| thoracic aorta | The part of the descending aorta that supplies structures as far down as the diaphragm. Synonym: pars thoracica aortae, aorta thoracica, thoracic part of aorta. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thoracic arteries | Arteries originating from the subclavian or axillary arteries and distributing to the anterior thoracic wall, mediastinal structures, diaphragm, pectoral muscles, mammary gland and the axillary aspect of the chest wall. (12 Dec 1998) |
| thoracic axis | <anatomy, artery> Origin, axillary; distribution, muscles and skin of shoulder and upper chest; anastomoses, branches of superior thoracic, internal thoracic, lateral thoracic, posterior and anterior circumflex humeral, and suprascapular. Synonym: arteria thoracoacromialis, acromiothoracic artery, thoracic axis, thoracoacromial trunk. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thoracic cage | The skeleton of the thorax consisting of the thoracic vertebrae, ribs, costal cartilages, and sternum. Synonym: compages thoracis, skeleton thoracicus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thoracic cardiac branches of vagus nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Branches of vagus nerve to the cardiac plexus which branch from the vagi at thoracic levels, conducting presynpatic parasympathetic fibres to, and reflex afferent fibres from, the cardiac plexus. Synonym: rami cardiaci thoracici nervi vagi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thoracic cardiac nerves | Part of the cardiopulmonary splanchnic nerves from the second to fifth segments of the thoracic sympathetic trunk that pass medially and anteriorly to enter the cardiac plexus; they convey postsynaptic sympathetic fibres to, and visceral afferent (pain) fibres from, the heart. Synonym: nervi cardiaci thoracici, upper thoracic splanchnic nerves. (05 Mar 2000) |