ABSTRACT
ANATOMY AND FUNCTION OF THE PERICARDIUM Normal pericardium consists of an outer sac, the fibrous pericardium and an inner double-layered sac, the serous pericardium.The visceral layer of the serous pericardium, or epicardium, covers the heart and proximal great vessels. It is reflected to form the parietal pericardium, which lines the fibrous pericardium (Fig. 1). A few centimeters of the proximal portion of the great vessels do reside within the pericardial sac, which explains hemopericardium related to proximal aortic dissection.
