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Fibrous Pericardium. Continuous with the central tendon of the diaphragm, the fibrous pericardium is made of tough connective tissue and is relatively non-distensible. This rigidity prevents rapid overfilling of the heart, but can have several serious clinical consequences (see cardiac tamponade).
The Pericardium. 1  The pericardium (G. around the heart) is a double-walled fibroserous sac that encloses the heart (G. kardia) and the roots of the great vessels. 2  It is located in the middle mediastinum, posterior to the body of the sternum and the 2nd to 6th costal cartilages, and anterior to T5 to T8 vertebrae. The pericardium consists of two parts : (1) a strong external layer composed of tough fibrous tissue, called the fibrous pericardium, and (2) an internal double-layered sac composed of a transparent membrane called the serous pericardium.