toracica

Toracica is the feminine form of the adjective toracico used in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish to denote a relation to the thorax, or chest. In medical and anatomical contexts, toracica describes structures, regions, and procedures pertaining to the thoracic cavity.

The thorax is the body region between the neck and the abdomen. It is bounded by the sternum at the front, the rib cage and spine at the sides, and the diaphragm at the base. The thoracic cavity contains the lungs, heart, pericardium, pleura, esophagus, trachea and major vessels, and is divided into compartments such as the mediastinum and the pulmonary compartments. Terms such as toracica interna or arteria toracica interna appear in some languages to refer to the internal thoracic artery, an important vessel in cardiovascular surgery.

In clinical use, toracica appears in diagnoses, procedures, and descriptions of chest-related conditions, including chest pain (dolore toracico), thoracentesis, thoracotomy, and thoracic imaging. The adjective can modify nouns for gender agreement in the relevant language, for example toracica in feminine nouns or toracico for masculine nouns.