Cavum

CAVUM (Latin for cavity) (synonyms: cavitas, spatium, antrum, sinus, caverna, camera), a term used in systematic and topographical anatomy to denote various cavities, in particular serous cavities [e.g. cavum pectoris (thoracis) — thoracic cavity, C. cranii — cranial cavity, C. nasalis — nasal cavity, C. oris — oral cavity, C. tympani — tympanic cavity, C. peritonaei — peritoneal cavity, C. pleurae — pleural cavity, C. pericardii — pericardial cavity]; topographic regions [C. mediastinale (ant. et post.) — mediastinum, C. ischio-rectale — ischio-rectal cavity]; various fissures and spaces (C. retropertoneale, s. Retzii — retroperitoneal space, C. subarachnoidale — subarachnoid space, C. subdurale medullae spin. — space under the dura mater of the spinal cord, C. epidurale medull. spin. — space between the dura mater of the spinal cord and the inner periosteum of the vertebrae), depressions, etc. (C. recto-vesicale, s. cavum Douglasii — depression between the rectum and the bladder, cavum vesico-uterinum — depression between the bladder and the uterus, C. recto-uterinum — depression between the rectum and the uterus), cavities (bone marrow cavities) of bones, cavities of joints (C. articulare), individual organs and their parts (C. uteri — uterine cavity, C. laryngis — laryngeal cavity, C. dentis — dental cavity, C. septi pellucidi — cavity of the transparent septum of the brain). - The formation of cavities in organs under pathological conditions is observed frequently; for example, one speaks of the cavity of a pulmonary tuberculous cavern, of an abscess cavity, a cyst cavity, etc. The mechanism of development of such cavities is very different (disintegration and resorption of necrotized masses, enzymatic liquefaction, transudation of fluid into a solid organ, e.g. into the corpus luteum of the ovary, etc.). The Latin term 'cavum' is not used to denote such cavities.