Pericardiacophrenic artery

The pericardiacophrenic artery is a long slender branch of the internal thoracic artery.^[1]

Pericardiacophrenic artery
The phrenic nerve and its relations with the vagus nerve. (Pericardiacophrenic artery not labeled, but region is visible.)
The thoracic aorta, viewed from the left side. (Pericardiacophrenic labeled at center left.)
Details
Source	Internal thoracic
Vein	Pericardiacophrenic veins
Supplies	Pericardium, thoracic diaphragm
Identifiers
Latin	arteria pericardiacophrenica
TA98	A12.2.08.034
TA2	4581
FMA	3964
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

Anatomy

Origin

The pericardiacophrenic artery branches from the internal thoracic artery.^[1]

Course

The pericardiacophrenic arteries travel through the thoracic cavity. They course through the fibrous pericardium.^[2] The pericardiacophrenic artery accompanies the phrenic nerve between the pleura and pericardium, to the diaphragm.^[3] This is where both the artery and the phrenic nerve are distributed.

Distribution

The pericardiacophrenic arteries provide arterial supply to the fibrous pericardium,^[2] and (along with the musculophrenic arteries) the diaphragm.^[4]

Anastomoses

It anastomoses with the musculophrenic, and superior phrenic arteries.^[5]