Question:medium
Which of the following structures does NOT pass through the aortic opening of the diaphragm?
Which of the following structures does NOT pass through the aortic opening of the diaphragm?
Show Hint
Aortic hiatus carries aorta, azygos and thoracic duct; the vagus goes with the oesophagus.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Azygos vein
- Aorta
- Thoracic duct
- Vagus
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: List the contents of each diaphragmatic aperture by vertebral level. The caval opening at T8 transmits the IVC and right phrenic; the oesophageal hiatus at T10 transmits the oesophagus and vagal trunks; the aortic hiatus at T12 transmits the midline great vessel plus lymph and venous channels. Step 2: At T12 the trio passing through is the aorta, the thoracic duct, and the azygos vein. That accounts for three of the four options as structures that DO pass through. Step 3: The vagus, by contrast, hugs the oesophagus as anterior and posterior vagal trunks and enters the abdomen through the T10 oesophageal hiatus. It never traverses the aortic hiatus. Step 4: The question asks for the exception, so the vagus is the structure that does not pass through the aortic opening. \[\boxed{\text{Vagus}}\]
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