pericardium
7
8.1
- noun
- /ˌpɛrɪˈkɑrdiəm/
- Specialized
:
pericardio
- During surgery, the doctor carefully accessed the pericardium to ensure the heart was functioning properly.
- congenital absence of pericardium
Examples
-
The fluid sac that holds the heart and its vessels is the pericardium.
Academic text (2015) -
Cardiac tamponade is the accumulation of blood in the pericardium that occurs when a sufficient volume of blood develops enough pressure to hamper cardiac filling.
Academic text (2016) -
You may notice the pericardium... which is that little sac around the heart.
-
On opening the pericardium, minimal pericardial fluid was found.
Academic text (2007) -
The improvement in surgical technique included, for example, the development of methods to reconstruct the diaphragm and the pericardium.
Academic text (2017) -
On the other hand, complete or partial absence of the pericardium is an uncommon congenital anomaly with various complications and presentations.
Academic text (2007) -
In contrast, congenital defects of the pericardium are a rare disease (1 in 10,000 autopsies).
Academic text (2007) -
Infection often spreads to the mediastinum, the pleural cavities, and the pericardium through the fascial planes.
Academic text (2004) -
The pericardium is a double-layered membrane that protects the heart.
-
Inflammation of the pericardium can cause chest pain and discomfort.
Synonyms
1
6.7
A thin bag with two layers that surrounds and protects the heart
Compounds
- Specialized
A tough outer layer around the heart attached to the diaphragm and breastbone
- Specialized
Inner thin layer of the covering around the heart that sticks to the heart's surface
Surface Forms
Morphology
pericardium = cardium (semi-transparent) = peri + cardium
Formally 'peri-' (around) + 'cardium' (heart) gives 'membrane around the heart', but both elements are medical combining forms unfamiliar to average B1 learners.
Etymology
Pericardium comes from Greek parts peri- 'around' and cardium 'heart', which you also see in words like 'perimeter' and 'cardio'. So the pericardium is the thin, protective 'sack' or membrane that sits 'around the heart'.