Gender difference in human upper thoracic sympathetic ganglia

Abstract

In recent years, the upper thoracic (1–5) sympathetic human ganglia are approached during to undergo treatment for upper essential hyperhidrosis, complex regional pain, Raynaud‘s syndrome and other vasomotor disorders. Anatomical variations of human thoracic ganglia are not been well documented, and still are actual issue for researchers. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender difference in upper human thoracic ganglia. We examined sympathetic thoracic ganglia from autopsied humans: 15 males and 11 females, the mean age was 75 years (age range 60–80 years). We measured 10 of 1st thoracic ganglions (right-6; left-4), 48-2nd (right-26; left-22), 43-3rd (right-23; left-20), 37-4th (right-19; left-18), 31-5th (right-15; left-16) for their length, width, thickness, and distance between them with outside callipers (sensitivity 0.01 mm). Statistical evaluation was performed using SSPS software, version 19.0. Measurements were statistically significant if their P 0.05. After macroscopic evaluation of specimens we performed histological study. In case of male cervicothoracic ganglion, the distance from it to the 2nd thoracic ganglion was 6.73 1.89 mm (mean SD) (in case of the 1st ganglion, the distance to 2nd ganglion– 5.25 2.56 mm); distance from 2nd to 3rd ganglion– 13.6 3.43; from 3rd to 4th-10.6 3.27; from 4th to 5th-13.72 5.45. Average length of 1st ganglia was 6.63 1.78 mm, 2nd-7.92 1.48, 3rd-9.33 2.26, 4th-9.86 1.72, 5th-9.34 1.69. Average width: 4.56 1.25 mm, 5.11 0.54, 5.46 0.62, 5.30 0.57, 5.90 0.91; average thickness: 2.44 0.72 mm, 2.59 0.27, 2.28 0.25, 2.07 0.21, 2.13 0.27 respectively. In case of female cervicothoracic ganglion, the distance from it to 2nd thoracic ganglion was 6.25 3,80 mm (in case of the 1st ganglion, the distance to 2nd-3.50 2.56 mm); distance from 2nd to 3rd-6.79 2.75; from 3rd to 4th-10.7 5.17; from 4th to 5th-7.25 4.02. Average length of 1st was 6.00 3.00 mm, [...].