ARTERIOSCLEROSIS IN ORBITAL ARTERIES

Background The anatomy of the orbital arteries is well known, and thei r physiology is under intensive investigation. Their age-related or ot her pathologic alterations, however, are still largely unknown. Method en We obtained at autopsy 16 orbits from 8 persons aged > 70 years, an d 4 orbits from 2 persons between 40 and 50 years. Specimens were take n from 20 locations along the orbital arteries, from the internal caro tid to the globe, and studied by light microscopy. Results We observed the following arteriosclerotic changes, in order of decreasing freque ncy: intimal hyperplasia, medial atrophy, atherosclerotic fibrous plaq ues, and calcifications of the internal elastic lamina. The frequency and severity generally decreased with smaller arterial caliber. Conclu sion Arteriosclerosis was ubiquitous in persons >70 years of age. Dege nerative changes in aged human orbital arteries may play an important role in ophthalmic vascular diseases.