ABSTRACT
The objective of the present study was to create the database of morphometric and morphological characteristics of the wall of the vessels of the Willis arterial circle at the site of their bifurcation throughout the period of postnatal ontogenesis in man to be used for the postmortem determination of human age. Preparations of vascular cross sections were used to measure the intima thickness (intimal pads) in the region of lateral bifurcation angles on the terminal branch of the internal carotid and basilar arteries obtained from 130 corpses of the subjects aged between 0 and 75 years. The histological preparations were stained with hematoxylin/eosin and van Gieson's pyrofuchsin or by the Unnar-Tenzer method. Morphometry was performed using a Bioscan image analyser and the Scion Image v.402 software. The Microsoft Excel 2003 package was used for the primary treatment of the data obtained. They were used to draw the table of intimal pads developing throughout the period of postnatal ontogenesis in man that allows for the postmortem determination of approximate human age. The study showed that the thickening of intimal pads and concomitant thinning of the underlying muscular layer during the postnatal ontogenesis should be regarded as being normal age-related changes.
