Outermost layer encountered when piercing through to the pericardial sac from outside the chest?

Outermost layer encountered when piercing through to the pericardial sac from outside the chest?

• A. Fibrous pericardium
• B. Parietal pericardium
• C. Pericardial cavity
• D. Epicardium

Answer: (A)

The outermost layer you’d encounter is the fibrous pericardium. This tough, dense connective tissue forms the protective outer coating of the pericardial sac and anchors the heart in place (to the diaphragm and sternum). Beneath it lies the serous pericardium, which has a parietal layer lining the inside of the fibrous pericardium and a visceral layer (the epicardium) covering the heart. The space between the parietal and visceral layers is the pericardial cavity. So, when piercing from the outside toward the heart, the first pericardial layer you meet is the fibrous pericardium, not the parietal pericardium, the pericardial cavity, or the epicardium.

The outermost layer you’d encounter is the fibrous pericardium. This tough, dense connective tissue forms the protective outer coating of the pericardial sac and anchors the heart in place (to the diaphragm and sternum). Beneath it lies the serous pericardium, which has a parietal layer lining the inside of the fibrous pericardium and a visceral layer (the epicardium) covering the heart. The space between the parietal and visceral layers is the pericardial cavity. So, when piercing from the outside toward the heart, the first pericardial layer you meet is the fibrous pericardium, not the parietal pericardium, the pericardial cavity, or the epicardium.