title: Topologic distributions of vasa vasorum and lymphatic vasa vasorum in the aortic adventitia--Implications for the prevalence of aortic diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vasa vasorum (VV) and lymphatic vasa vasorum (LVV) form their own networks in the adventitia. VV supply the aorta with nutrition and oxygen; however, the distribution and role of LVV remains to be determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the distribution of VV and LVV along the aorta.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aortic samples were obtained from 22 autopsy cases without medical history of aortic diseases. Aortic segments were classified as arch (Ar), descending thoracic (De), suprarenal abdominal (S-Ab), and infrarenal abdominal (I-Ab). Adventitial VV and LVV were identified immunohistochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VV were most dense in the arch aorta, becoming less dense along the aorta in more distal segments, with the lowest density occurring in the infrarenal abdominal aorta. There was a significant correlation between the numbers of VV and medial thickness in the total aortic segments (r = 0.518, p < 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant correlation between the number of LVV and medial thickness in any aortic segments. However, there was a significant correlation between the number of LVV and intimal thickness in I-Ab (r = 0.425, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distributions of adventitial VV and LVV were characteristic along the aortic segments. Differences in the distributions may imply the prevalence of aortic diseases such as dissection, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and atherosclerotic occlusive disease in each aortic segment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: masakisurgeon@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: unno@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Unno
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: vasotocin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: baba@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: r.sugisawa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugisawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: 44htanaka@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: inu@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inuzuka
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan; Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: ynaoto@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: ksato@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan. Electronic address: kon_6416@hama-med.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Konno
mesh_terms: D063194:Adventitia / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D001344:Autopsy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014651:Vasa Vasorum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Abdominal aorta; Aneurysm; Dissection; Distribution; Intimal thickness; Lymphatic vasa vasorum; Occlusive disease