WEIGHTS OF BRAIN, HEART, LIVER, KIDNEYS, AND SPLEEN IN HEALTHY AND APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULT DANISH SUBJECTS

Based on a forensic material of 1,598 autopsies of Danish adults (1,086 males, 512 females greater-than-or-equal-to 16 years of age), who prior to death were healthy or apparently healthy based on clinical evidence, the weights of brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and spleen were registered. The variability of organ weights was estimated. Relationships between organ weights and body size, and among organ weights were also evaluated. Males had larger organ weights than females. When organ weights were based on the same estimated fat free mass, interesting differences between the sexes were observed: weights of the heart and brain were smaller in females, but weights of the kidney were the same; weights of the liver were consistently larger in females than in males. Useful comparisons of the data with previous studies were impossible because of differences in the criteria of health and of insufficient numbers. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.