Can someone please describe the layers of the pericardium?

[tiffany311]

I am tryig to get a really good picture of the layers of the pericardium, can someone please help me out, can someone please describe it to me?

Thank you

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

Here are a couple of links that might help:

http://www.rjmatthewsmd.com/Definitions/pericardium.htm

http://www.marylanddermatology.org/imagepages/18081.htm

http://www.luhs.org/HEALTH/TOPICS/cardiac/pericard.htm

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

Is this what you're looking for?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Here is a really good drawing of the layers of the pericardium:

• http://www.apsu.edu/thompsonj/Anatomy%20&%20Physiology/2020/2020%20Exam%20Reviews/Exam%201/pericardial%20layers.jpg

and this is a description and defintions of the layers:

• http://www.apsu.edu/thompsonj/Anatomy%20&%20Physiology/2020/2020%20Exam%20Reviews/Exam%201/CH18%20Pericardial%20Cavity%20and%20Pathology.htm

[Jedi of Zen]

I don't know if this will help or not, but as I understand it, the pericardium is the outer, dense white fibrous layer that is wrapped around the heart. Which is not to be confused with the wall of the heart itself.

Some books or sources will tell you that the heart wall has 3 layers - the endocardium (inner), myocardium (middle) and epicardium (outer), and that the pericardium has 2 layers - the fibrous (ie, outer layer) and the parietal (ie, inner layer). Other books will say that the epicardium is a rightful part of the pericardium. In either case, the epicardium is the very thin layer of tissue that lies beween the main pericardium (ie fibrous/parietal) and the heart itself.

The epicardium is aka visceral pericardium. Hope this helps!