Discussion on the Pericardium as the Meninges

Abstract

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the visceral manifestation theory posits that the heart is the sovereign of the five zang and six fu organs. The pericardium acts as a minister, receiving pathogenic factors on behalf of the heart. Ye Tianshi proposed the concept of "reverse transmission to the pericardium." If pathogenic factors were to invade the outer covering of the heart, why would it be termed "reverse"? Additionally, conditions such as "heat invading the pericardium" and "phlegm clouding the pericardium" both involve mental disturbances. While TCM speaks of five zang and six fu organs, there are twelve regular meridians, with the hand-shaoyang sanjiao meridian and the hand-jueyin pericardium meridian forming an exterior-interior pair. Thus, the pericardium, like the sanjiao, may be a membranous organ. Based on clinical manifestations, it should correspond to the meninges. However, unlike the anatomical essence of the blood-brain barrier [1], it should encompass the entire membranous structure dominated by the liver fascia. This article explores the historical evolution, theoretical analysis, pathology, and case studies to provide a feasible theoretical model for researching related diseases.