Growth and Aging

Fetal Aorta

06401c01 heart cardiac fetus right atrium superior vena cava SVC right atrial appendage RAA inferior vena cava IVC left atrium LA esophagus aorta

Fetal Aorta

1019h5~1B aorta fetus USscan 3D normal Courtesy PhilipsMedical Systems Davidoff MD

Neonatal Structures

01900.800 adrenal aorta IVC kidney liver lung small bowel ureter diaphragm normal fetal lobation neonate growth time grossanatomy Davidoff MD

Normal Smooth glistening Endothelial Surface of the Neonatal Aorta

This is a post mortem specimen of the aorta of a patient with pulmonary atresia and bronchial collaterals. Overlaid in red are the enlarged orifices of the origins of the bronchial arteries. In yellow is the entrance of the PDA (patent ductus arteriosus) to the aorta Note in addition the normal appearing shiny appearance of the neonatal intima. Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 32628c a79-8

Pressure Tension Radius Laplace’s Law

This image shows a famous cardiologist, Dr Jonathan Fisher performing as Zippy the clown revealing and exaggerating the difficulty with surface tension and radius in the early stages of blowing up a balloon. Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD. 60730b01 code lung physiology balloon surface tension surfactant alveolus alveoli radius principles

Tortuous Airta – Normal Aging Process

The normal aging process results in a loss of elasticity. Elongation and tortuosisty results which is exmplified in the image above, The patient is 60 years old

73384 Ashley Davidoff MD

Atherosclerosis

This image shows three pathological specimens of the aorta. In the first image minimally raised fatty streaks are noted. (a). In image b, the fibrous capsule causes raised fibrofatty nodules, while in c, there gas been rupture of the plaques, with friable atheromatous plaques abound. Courtesy Henri Cuenoid MD 13420c CVS artery aorta atheroscleosis atheroma fatty streaks fibro

In between birth and aging the aorta will be subjected to an unbelievable amout of stress. If on the average the heart beats at 60 per minute taking into consideration that it will be fastrr at a yong age and during t day and slower at night by the tme a person reaches 70 years old the aorta would have been subjected to oveer 15 billion pulsations

In 1 hour @ 60bpm = 3,600 pulsations
In 24 hours – = 84,600
In one week = 604,800
In one month = 18,144,000
In 1 year = 217,728,000
In 70 years = 15,240,960,000 pulsations

Laminar Flow in the Abdominal Aorta

54 year old male with a normal abdominal aorta showing laminar flow. The first image shows a smooth endothelium and the color flow in the second image is homogeneously red as it flows toward the transducer and homogeneously blue as i flows away from the transducer.

73375c01 Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD

Turbulent flow

This drawing shows the lines and circles of noisy turbulent flow, which is characteristic of flow in the larger airways.

Courtesy of Ashley Davidoff M.D. 42434b07

Turbulent flow

78 year old man showing an irregular endothelium o the aorta with atherosclerotic plaque. As a result flow becomes turbulent as seen in the second image as heterogeneous mixture of red and blue flow .

73389c01 Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD

Normal aorta and Abdominal Aneurysm – Pressure Tension and Laplace’s Law

70027c01 aorta abdomen abdominal aortic aneurysm normal aorta TCV applied biology AAA USscan Davidoff MD

Growth Rate of an Aneurysm

This seriesof images spans the follow up of an infrarenal AAA first evaluated in February in 204 by US, (a,b,c) and CT (d,e,f) followed by a repeat US in September 2004 – 6 months later. The rapidity of growth from a transverse diameter of 4.8cms (a) to 5.3 cms (d) suggest rapid growth of the saccular aneurysm and in and of itself would warrant repair. In addition the presence of advancing hydronephrosis (c,i) would raise the possibility of perianeurysmal fibrosis with secondary obstruction probaly requiring surgical release and preferable treatment with open repair. Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD 37245c code CVS aorta abdomen AAA infrarenal saccular hydronephrosis