Serous pericardium

Template:Infobox Anatomy

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The serous pericardium is deeper than the fibrous pericardium. It contains two layers, both of which function in lubricating the heart to prevent friction from occurring during heart activity:

• The layer next to the fibrous pericardium is the parietal layer.
• The layer deep to the fibrous pericardium is the visceral layer.^[1] When this layer comes into contact with the heart (not the great vessels), it is known as the epicardium.

Together these two layers form a continuous uninterrupted membrane. Between these two layers exists a small cavity called the pericardial cavity, which contains a supply of serous fluid. The serous fluid that is found in this space is known as the pericardial fluid.

• Template:NormanAnatomy (Template:NormanAnatomyFig)
• Template:UMichAtlas – “Chest X-ray showing pericardium, posteroanterior view”
• Template:UMichAtlas – “MRI of chest, lateral view”

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