**1.12 Pericardium**

The pericardium is a conical-shaped structure that adheres to and envelops the heart, including the serous and fibrous pericardium. The fibrous pericardium is a resilient sac that surrounds the heart and attaches to the great vessels. The serous

**Figure 4.** *Aortic valve inferior view (left) and superior view (right).*

*Molecular Histopathology and Cytopathology in Cardiovascular Diseases DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110503*

**Figure 5.**

*The left coronary artery: left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex artery (left); ostium (right).*

**Figure 6.** *Pericardium.*

pericardium forms the delicate inner lining of the fibrous pericardium and continues onto the surface of the heart and great vessels at the pericardial reflection**.** Between the layers of the pericardium is a virtual space called the pericardial cavity. Blood and fluid can appear in this space and create a pericardial effusion (**Figure 6**).
