Would a stab wound in the root of the neck injure the pleura?

The video describes the case of a woman who was stabbed in the left side of her neck just superior to the middle of the clavicle. The case deals with anatomical relations at the root of the neck such as the phrenic nerve, subclavian vein, subclavian artery, recurrent laryngeal nerve and the dome of the pleura (cervical pleura). It reminds of the surface landmarks of the lung and the pleura.

The lung and the pleura extend into the neck about two to four centimeters above the clavicle and this is what we call the dome of the pleura and the apex of the lung. Therefore, the pleura could be injured in penetrating neck wounds resulting in a pneumothorax.

This video is part of a playlist of short videos which are intended to combine multiple choice questions answering experience with an improved understanding of anatomy.

Presented and edited by Dr. Akram Jaffar, Ph.D.

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Considering the descriptive nature of anatomy, and the importance of illustrations in grasping and remembering anatomical relationships, diagrams are added. However, they should not be expected to accompany questions in an actual examination setting. In this case, the student should visualize these relations in his/her mind's eye before attempting to answer the question.