page_title: Thoracic diaphragm
section_title: Imaging
hierarchical_section_title: Thoracic diaphragm / Clinical significance / Imaging
caption_attribution_description: English: An X-ray of a human chest area, with some structures labeled. X-ray of chest, showing top of diaphragm. Македонски: Рендгенска снимка на човечкиот граден кош, со некои негови градбени делови. Kapampangan: Metung a X-ray na ning salu ning tau, deng aliwang balangkas makasabi la. Русский: Рентгенограмма органов грудной полости. ไทย: ภาพเอกซ์เรย์ของทรวงอกมนุษย์. Українська: Рентгенограма органів грудної порожнини.
context_page_description: The thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm, is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle in humans and other mammals that extends across the bottom of the thoracic cavity. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity, containing the heart and lungs, from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration: as the diaphragm contracts, the volume of the thoracic cavity increases, creating a negative pressure there, which draws air into the lungs.
  The term diaphragm in anatomy, created by Gerard of Cremona, can refer to other flat structures such as the urogenital diaphragm or pelvic diaphragm, but "the diaphragm" generally refers to the thoracic diaphragm. In humans, the diaphragm is slightly asymmetric—its right half is higher up to the left half, since the large liver rests beneath the right half of the diaphragm. There is also a theory that the diaphragm is lower on the other side due to the presence of the heart.
  Other mammals have diaphragms, and other vertebrates such as amphibians and reptiles have diaphragm-like structures, but important details of the anatomy may vary, such as the position of the lungs in the thoracic cavity.
context_section_description: Due to its position separating the thorax and abdomen, fluid abnormally present in the thorax, or air abnormally present in the abdomen, may collect on one side of the diaphragm. An X-ray may reveal this. Pleural effusion, in which there is fluid abnormally present between the two pleurae of the lungs, is detected by an X-ray of the chest, showing fluid collecting in the angle between the ribs and diaphragm. An X-ray may also be used to reveal a pneumoperitoneum, in which there is gas in the abdomen.
  An X-ray may also be used to check for herniation.
caption: X-ray of chest, showing top of diaphragm.
exif: {}