In this study, the coronal and sagittal heights of the pituitary glands were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique in 201 individuals. There was no sellar or parasellar region pathology in the study group. The data were evaluated according to age and sex groups. In all cases the coronal and sagittal heights of the pituitary glands were equal. The mean values of the coronal and sagittal heights in females (6.1±0.1 mm,6.1±0.1 mm respectively)were higher than in males (5.7±0.2 mm,5.6±0.2 mm respectively). The highest values for the coronal and sagittal heights were in the 11-20 years age group in both sexes. A gradual increase in the coronal and sagittal heights of the pituitary glands in the 0-10,11-20 age groups was present in both sexes. Decrease in the heights of the pituitary glands was noted after 20 years of age onwards. Nevertheless there was a conspicuous increase in the mean value of the pituitary glands' heights in the 51-60 years age group in males. In females, a minimal increase in the mean value of the pituitary glands' heights was observed in the 61 years and over age group.

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The position and size of the sacral hiatus were examined in sixteen human vertebral specimens. The cranial margin of the sacral hiatus was located caudal to the level of the fourth sacral vertebra in 75% of sacra examined; thus this level is considered to be the representative border for the formation of the vertebral arch. The developmental significance of the sacral hiatus was discussed.

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Myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers of the human vestibular nerve were analyzed with the use of a new staining method that makes it possible to discriminate various structures of the nervous tissue. An image-analyzing digitizer, a microscope with a drawing tube and a personal computer for storing data and performing statistical analyses were employed in this study. We measured the axonal numbers and transverse areas of myelinated vestibular nerve fibers in 20 cadavers, and of unmyelinated fibers in 14 cadavers. The average number of myelinated axons and unmyelinated axons were 20,318 and 2,782, and the average transverse area of their axons were 3.46 and 0.49μm², respectively. The transverse areas of myelinated axons decreased with age, although the numbers of their axons did not change. However, in the case of unmyelinated axons, both the transverse areas and the numbers did not change.

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The composition of adipocyte, blood vessel, and muscle fiber during ageing from 30 to 90 years of age was examined by a computer analyzing system in human lateral petrygoid muscle. The human lateral petrygoid muscle, the intramuscular connective tissue with adipocyte and blood vessel, displayed a specific change in morphology during ageing. Numerous adipocyte appeared around the blood vessel in the perimysium of the human petrygoid muscle from 60 years of age. The percentage and size of adipocyte and vein per 10,000μm² of the cross sectional area in the muscle increased as well. However, the cross sectional area of muscle fiber was almost constant. The increase of adipocyte was related with changes of blood vessel and connective tissue in the perimysium.

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Fibrous structures in the vocal fold were studied in 8 adult Japanese monkeys. Their vocal folds were fixed with formalin and longitudinal and cross-sections were prepared. Some of the samples were treated with 10% NaOH to digest cellular components and elastic fibers, and some of them were treated with 90% formic acid to digest cellular components and collagen fibers. Each sample was then fixed with OsO₄, dehydrated, dried at the critical point, ioncoated, and studied under a scanning electron microscope. The lamina propria mucosae in Japanese monkeys was thinner than that in humans and consisted of a superficial layer rich in connective tissue and a deep layer poor in this tissue. Both collagen fibers and elastic fibers mostly ran straight, and the fiber distribution and morphology slightly differed according to the depth of the layer. Their density was higher in upper layers. In the muscle layer, connective tissue surrounding muscle fibers was scarce. The fibrous structure of the monkey vocal fold is simpler than that of human vocal fold, and these findings reflect the short and monotonous phonation of monkeys.

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The purpose of the present study is to analyze the human greater splanchnic nerve in relation to aging. We adopted a new staining method which makes it possible to discriminate various structures of the nervous tissue. We examined 25 human greater splanchnic nerves from cadavers for anatomy dissection. We measured the number, area and perimeter of axons. The results reveal that: (1) there is no correlation between age and the number of axons; (2) the mean area and perimeter of axons increase with age, but not the total area and perimeter. We compared these results with those for the lesser splanchnic nerve. These morphological changes in the greater splanchnic nerve may indicate a kind of compensation through axon hypertrophy for hypofunctions in abdominal organ control.

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The present study examined the tissue-expression of MRP8 in human placenta using a biotinylated DNAprobe for in situ hybridization. During the first and second trimesters high level and synchronous expression of MRP8was detected in cytotrophoblasts (Langhans' cells), placental-tissue macrophages (Hofbauer cells), fibroblast-like cells, endothelial cells and monocytic lineages in the foetal capillaries. The highest expression was seen in large and ovalshaped cytotrophoblasts and stromal-cell populations at around 8-11 weeks. At term placentas had low level MRP8expression chiefly in the myelomonocytic lineages in foetal blood vessels. The peripheral monocytes in the maternal space also expressed MRP8 at high levels during the first and second trimesters, which subsequently decreased at term. We suggest three hypotheses based on these results; (1) The initial expression of MRP8 may occur in two cell lineages of extra-embryonic and intra-embryonic origin in the first two trimesters; (2) the cytotrophoblasts, placental-tissue macrophages and fibroblasts may play important roles in the production of placental hormones and the immunoregulation of foetal acceptance; and (3) MRP8-expression may be synchronously inhibited once the trophoblasts and stromal cell-constituents have differentiated in the chorionic villi.

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Functional incisor teeth (deciduous and permanent teeth) from Bovidae (14 species) were prepared for scanning electron microscopic observation. Ultrastructural patterns of the enamel layer of deciduous and permanent incisor teeth varied (ex. prisms, arrangement pattern of matrices, and in thickness of enamel layer) in each species. The ultrastructures of prisms in longitudinal sections were classified into three types; A, radial, B, tangential, and C, mix of A and B arrangement enamel; modified Koenigswald's method (1982) in examined species. Type A was found in a large part of permanent and a small part of deciduous incisor teeth, while types B and C were mainly found in the deciduous teeth.
These morphological features show the remarkable correlation between permanent and deciduous teeth.

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This study was applied on 9665 cases between January 1993 and October 1998. Of these,6985 (72.3%) were urologic patients and 2680 (27.7%) were autopsy cases. The patients having urinary complaint investigated by urine analysis and kidney-ureter-bladder film (KUB), routinely. In all patients who have pathological urine, ultrasonography exam was done and in all patients who established an abnormality on ultrasonografy, intravenous pyelography (IVP)was taken, also.
We established the horseshoe kidney in 23 of patients (1/304) and in 6 of autopsy cases (1/447) with overall incidence 1/333. There were 21 male and 8 female with horseshoe kidney (male/female = 2.6/1). Abdominal discomfort with lower lumbar pain and Rovsing's sign were seen in 56.5% and in 65.2% of patients respectively.
We concluded that horseshoe kidney incidence is almost the same as reported in the literature, although its clinical appearance is higher in our urologic patient population. In the urological out-patient evaluation, at least Rovsing's sign should be applied to all patients with lower lumbar pain with vague abdominal discomfort and an abdominal ultrasonographic exam should be applied, if this sign is positive.

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The facial artery together with the surrounding tissue in the modiolus was examined under the light microscope. The specimens were obtained from 15 formalin fixed human cadavers in our department. Each specimen was excised as a 1cm³ cubic mass from the region where the facial artery bisected the line drawn horizontally from the angle of mouth. Light microscopic evaluation of the specimens revealed that the facial artery is surrounded by adipose tissue except one specimen. There was not a fibrous canal nor cleft at the angle of mouth in the modiolus as described.

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