NERVE-CELL LOSS IN THE MYENTERIC PLEXUS OF THE HUMAN ESOPHAGUS IN RELATION TO AGE - A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

Abstract

Morphometric measurements have been carried out on the human myenteric esophageal neurons at the ages of 20-40 and more than 70 years. The number of neurons decreases after 70 years of age, which is accompanied by an increase in the sizes of the neurons, In percentage terms the decrease in the number of neurons in the aged varied from 22 to 62% along the esophagus being most pronounced in its superior third at the junction with the pharynx.411182