Morphometric parameters of cerebral arteries in the elderly

Objective: to identify the features of morphometric parameters of cerebral arteries in adults aged 55-74 years. Material and Methods. As a material of the study we used samples of anterior (АСА), middle (MCA), posterior cerebral (PCA), posterior connective (PCoA), basilar arteries (BA) and vertebral arteries (VA), seized at autopsy 21 corpses of adults who died in old age. External diameter, wall thickness and length of arteries were studied by morphometry. The lumen diameter was calculated as the difference between the outer diameter and the doubled wall thickness. The material was processed by variational-statistical method. Results. The article presents the average values and parameters of variability of the main morphometric parameters of arteries supplying the brain. The results of the comparative analysis with the average values typical for adults aged 21-90 years are presented. Conclusion. The length, wall thickness, outer diameter and lumen diameter of the cerebral arteries in adults 55-74 years are characterized by significant variability. In the studied age range, АСА and PCA are characterized by the same wall thickness; MCA and VAare the same wall thickness, outer diameter and lumen diameter. The wall thickness of BA and VA in the elderly is 28.1 and 17.9% higher than the average value typical for people 21-90 years.