Question:medium
Which structure does NOT pass through the aortic opening of the diaphragm?
Which structure does NOT pass through the aortic opening of the diaphragm?
Show Hint
The vagi pierce the T10 oesophageal opening, not the T12 aortic hiatus.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Azygos vein
- Aorta
- Thoracic duct
- Vagus
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Recall the rhyme for the three diaphragmatic apertures by vertebral level. T8 caval (with the right phrenic), T10 oesophageal (with both vagi), and T12 aortic. The question targets the T12 hiatus.
Step 2: Through the aortic hiatus run the descending aorta, the thoracic duct and the azygos vein (and frequently the greater splanchnic nerve). Hence three of the listed options - aorta, thoracic duct and azygos vein - belong to this opening.
Step 3: Identify the odd one out. The vagus nerve travels with the oesophagus through the T10 oesophageal opening as the anterior and posterior vagal trunks, not through the aortic hiatus. So the vagus is the structure that does not use the aortic opening.
\[\boxed{\text{Vagus nerve}}\]
Step 2: Through the aortic hiatus run the descending aorta, the thoracic duct and the azygos vein (and frequently the greater splanchnic nerve). Hence three of the listed options - aorta, thoracic duct and azygos vein - belong to this opening.
Step 3: Identify the odd one out. The vagus nerve travels with the oesophagus through the T10 oesophageal opening as the anterior and posterior vagal trunks, not through the aortic hiatus. So the vagus is the structure that does not use the aortic opening.
\[\boxed{\text{Vagus nerve}}\]
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