[Quantitative-histomorphological study of the abdominal aorta in children and adolescents]

127 abdominal aortas of children and adolescents aged 0-20 years were examined histomorphologically. The quantitative analysis gave the following results: (1) The intimal thickness increases continuously with age. The maximal intimal growth can be observed between the 1st and 3rd and the 12th and 19th year of age, respectively. (2) The media exhibits a similar increase in thickness with a maximal growth between the 1st and 3rd and in the 12th year. (3) The intima-media index rises rapidly from birth until the 3rd year, with a plateau thereafter, and then increases again between the 14th and 18th year. (4) The mean values for these measurements were higher in males than in females in all the age groups except for the 1st year.