The central compartment of the thoracic cavity, located between the lungs, containing the heart, great vessels, trachea, esophagus, and other vital structures. It's divided into superior and inferior compartments.
From Latin 'mediastinus' meaning standing in the middle, from 'medius' meaning middle. The term was adopted to describe this central chest region that separates the two lung cavities.
The mediastinum is like Grand Central Station for your chest! It's packed with vital structures in a space only about 6 inches wide, and any mass or swelling here can compress multiple organs simultaneously, causing complex symptoms.
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