Trachea and esophagus location map

The bronchi and esophagus are both located in the mediastinum. The mediastinum itself is an organ between the upper and lower mediastinal diaphragms, a general term for its structure and connective tissue. The mediastinum can be divided into left and right mediastinum by the scapula, and the lower mediastinum can be divided into anterior, middle and posterior parts by the anterior and posterior walls of the pericardium. The bronchi are located in the upper mediastinum, and the esophagus is located in the posterior mediastinum. The bronchi and esophagus are two different parts of the respiratory tract and digestive tract respectively.

Location of the esophagus

The esophagus is composed of muscles and mucous membranes. It is located in the mediastinum, starting from the lower part of the cricopharyngeal muscle and ending at the pylorus. The esophageal passage of an adult is at the plane of the 6th cervical vertebra, and the pylorus is at the plane of the 10th to 11th lumbar vertebrae, with a length of about 23 to 25 cm. The wall of the esophagus is relatively thin, about 3 to 4 mm thick in an adult, and is composed of three layers of tissue: the inner mucosal layer, the middle submucosal layer, and the outer muscular layer. The inner layer of the muscular layer is circular muscle fibers, and the surface layer is longitudinal muscle fibers, which have a certain degree of expansion and elasticity. However, the surface lacks a strong serous layer, so the perforation is most likely to cause mediastinal inflammation.

The esophagus can be divided into three sections: cervical, thoracic, and abdominal. From top to bottom, the cervical section is first located in front of the cervical vertebrae, then slightly to the left. After entering the chest, it gradually returns to the front position at the fourth lumbar vertebra, and then slowly moves to the left at the bronchial bifurcation, finally passing through the esophageal foramen of the diaphragm and taking a left-biased position to enter the stomach. The cervical esophagus is adjacent to the anterior bronchus, and the recurrent laryngeal nerve passes through the small groove between the bronchus and the esophagus. The bronchi, aortic arch, and left bronchitis traverse the superior thoracic region. The left recurrent laryngeal nerve bypasses the aortic arch before rising along the small groove between the bronchus and esophagus. The esophagus below the thoracic segment is located behind the left atrium. The abdominal section of the esophagus is very short and enters the stomach almost immediately.

Bronchitis

1. Location: In the front middle of the neck, just in front of the esophagus, sliding down into the chest cavity and connecting with the annular cartilage.

2. Structure: It is composed of 16 to 20 "C"-shaped cartilage rings, and the posterior side is composed of smooth muscle and connective tissue membrane.

3. Each branch

Neck: From the cricoid cartilage above to the scapula jugular notch below, the tracheotomy is carried out at the 3rd to 5th bronchial ring.

Chest: From the scapular jugular notch to the lower part of the fourth lumbar vertebra (sternal angle plane), the left and right bronchus are divided. The bifurcation is called the bronchial bifurcation, and the crescent-shaped longitudinal ridge inside that convexes upward is called the bronchial carina.

Primary bronchitis:

Left principal bronchus: thin, long, and crooked.

Right principal bronchitis: A thick, short, straight tracheal foreign body enters the right principal bronchitis