Costodiaphragmatic recess
potential space in the pleural cavity at the junction of the costal pleura and diaphragmatic pleura
The costodiaphragmatic recess, also called the costophrenic recess or phrenicocostal sinus, is the posterolateral fringe of the pleural space, a potential space around the lung inside the pleural cavity. It is located at the acutely angled junction ("reflection") between the costal and diaphragmatic parietal pleurae, and is interpreted two-dimensionally on plain X-rays as the costophrenic angle. It measures approximately 5 cm (2.0 in) vertically and extends from the eighth to the tenth rib along the mid-axillary line.
Function
The lungs expand into this recess during forced inspiration; however, the recess never gets filled completely. During expiration, it contains nothing apart from gravitated serous fluid.
Clinical significance
Pleural effusions collect in the costodiaphragmatic recess when in standing position, and present on plain X-rays as "blunting" of the costophrenic angle.
A thoracocentesis (pleural tap) is often performed here while a patient is in full expiration because of less risk of puncturing the lungs and thereby causing pneumothorax.
Imaging
In anatomy, the costophrenic angles are the places where the diaphragm (-phrenic) meets the ribs (costo-).
Each costophrenic angle can normally be seen as on chest x-ray as a sharply-pointed, downward indentation (dark) between each hemi-diaphragm (white) and the adjacent chest wall (white). A small portion of each lung normally reaches into the costophrenic angle.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Costodiaphragmatic recess” as potential space in the pleural cavity at the junction of the costal pleura and diaphragmatic pleura. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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This entry incorporates text from “Costodiaphragmatic recess” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.