ESOPHAGUS

ESOPHAGUS

1. 25cm long

   • Starts at inferior border of cricoid cartilage (C6,C7)
   • Hollow muscular tube
   • Finishes at T10/T11
   • Anterior Relation:LEFT ATRIUM

2. 3 PARTS

   • Cervical
     • Anterior lies Larynx, Cricoid cartilage, Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve, Thyroid, Parathyroid glands
   • Thoracic
     • 16cm
   • Abdominal
     • 1-3cm
     • Starts at oesophageal hiatus of diaphragm to cardiac orifice of stomach

3. Tracheal Bifurcation at T4

   • Aortic Arch crosses over at this point
   • Important landmark as BRONCHOAORTIC constriction is at T4

4. 3 Constrictions

   • PHARYNGOESOPHAGEAL
     • Narrowest
     • Produced by circular muscles of esophagus
     • Behind Cricoid Cartilage
   • BRONCHOAORTIC
     • T4
     • 10cm distance between PHARYNGOESOPHAGEAL and BRONCHOAROTIC
   • DIAPHRAGMATIC
     • At Oesophageal Hiatus
     • Produced by spiral muscle arrangement and venous plexus

5. ARTERIAL SUPPLY

   • CERVICAL PART
     • INFERIOR THYROID
   • THORACIC PART
     • ESOPHAGEAL
   • ABDOMINAL PART
     • INFERIOR PHRENIC & LEFT GASTRIC

6. VENOUS SUPPLY

   • CERVICAL PART
     • INFERIOR THYROID
   • THORACIC PART
     • AZYGOUS & HEMIAZYGOUS
       • BOTH of these DRAIN INTO SUPERIOR VENA CAVA
   • ABDOMINAL PART
     • LEFT GASTRIC
       • Drains into HEPATIC PORTAL VEIN

7. NERVE SUPPLY

   • VAGUS NERVE
     • Through 2 nerve plexuses Meissner & Auerbach
   • Cervical Part
     • Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve