Variability of morphometric characteristics of cerebral arteries in children aged 3-7 years

Objective: to identify bilateral and sexual variability, as well as the average morphometric characteristics of the cerebral arteries in children during the first childhood are normal. Material and methods. The material for the study was samples of brain arteries obtained during autopsy of 35 children 3-7 years old. Transverse millimeter sections of the anterior (АСА), wedge-shaped parts of the middle (MCA), pre-communication segments of the posterior cerebral (PCA), intracranial parts of the vertebral arteries (VA) and cerebral internal carotid arteries (ICA) under a microscope determined the external diameter, wall thickness, internal diameter. Results. The above parameters of the arteries in the right and left hemispheres of the brain ranged from 0.2 to 7.9% (p>0.05); in boys and girls — from 0.5 to 15.4% (p>0.05). The average values of the outer diameter, wall thickness and inner diameter were: ICA—2.65±0.04, 0.16±0.005 and 2.33±0.04 mm; АСА— 1.90±0.02, 0.14±0.004 and 1.61±0.03 mm; MCA—2.25±0.03, 0.15±0.005 and 1.95±0.03 mm; PCA— 1.81±0.03, 0.14±0.004 and 1.54±0.03 mm; VA —2.23±0.03, 0.16±0.005 and 1.91±0.04 mm. Conclusion. In the first period of childhood, bilateral and sexual differences in the value of the studied parameters of ICA and main cerebral arteries were not found. In this regard, arterial mean values are presented excluding sex and arterial circle side. In the first period of childhood, the lumen of АСА is 86.0%, MCA—80.4%, PCA—79.0%, VA—79.9% of the size of similar arteries in an adult.