Abstract
Since the days of antiquity, we have known that aortic circumference and length increase with advancing age. In this paper, a total of 103 specimens of aorta which were unselectively obtained from Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office necropsies were surveyed to study the correlation between aortic atherosclerosis and “senile ectasia”. Aorta was dissected longitudinally, fixed in formarin and then the circumference of aorta was determined at the ascending, arch, descending thracic, abdominal and the terminal portions of aorta. On the descending thracic aorta, aortic length was also measured and correlation between these changes and the age of the subject was studied. At the same time, aortic atherosclerotis index was calculated by method of Gore and Tejada, based on the quantitative value of aortic atherosclerosis which has been reported in the first part of this paper. Correlation between the aortic atherosclerotic index and “senile ectasia” of aorta was then studied. Following results were obtained.
1) All circumference of each parts of aorta increased straight along with advancing age and the rate of increase was larger at the proxymal aorta than distal.
2) The tendency of increase with advancing age was also observed on the length of thracic aorta above the age of 50.
3) The area of thracic aorta increased straight with its age, at a rate of 10cm2 per 10 years.
4) Aortic atherosclerotic index was calculated by the method of Gore and Tejada. The relationship between age and this index indicated positive correlation in an exponential function.
5) Aortic atherosclerotic index increased with the aortic area in an exponential function.
