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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).
NORMAL PERICARDIUM. The normal parietal pericardium (fibrous sac or fibrous pericardium), the bag that encloses the heart, consists of a 1-mm-thick layer of dense collagen (fibrous layer) with sparse interspersed elastic fibrils, and it is covered by a layer of mesothelial cells (serous layer) (Figure â(Figure55).