Study of the normal internal organ weights in Thai population

Abstract

The normal adult internal organ weight and the relationship between it with body weight (BW) and body height (BH) have not been studied in Thailand. The 499 corpses of autopsy were performed in Maharajnakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, the center of the northern part of Thailand during 2000-2005. All of these cases were unnatural deaths including accident, homicide and suicide with no organ injuries or pathologic abnormalities and excluded decomposed bodies, diseases and previous medical treatments. These organs were collected from 269 males and 230 females and were aged between 15 and 60 years. The determination of average organ weight (AOW) was made based on the weight of brains, pituitary glands, thymuses, thyroids, hearts, lungs, livers, pancreases, adrenal glands, kidneys, spleens, ovaries, testes and uteruses. The organ weight (OW) was set in relation to sex, age, body weight (BW) and body height (BH). The AOW (g) of male and female was found to be: brain 1311/1170, pituitary gland 0.6/0.6, thymus 23/24, heart 291/246, thyroid 17/17, right lung 321/271, left lung 296/251, liver 1252/1106, pancreas 97/88, right kidney 106/97, left kidney 112/98, spleen 104/77, right adrenal 5/7.9 and left adrenal gland 6/8. It was also found that weight increased in males in relation to higher age, BW and BH adrenal gland increased in females. There was no difference in pituitary, thymus and thyroid gland weight in either sex. These results can be used as standard organ weights to determine abnormal evidences in Forensic and Pathologic corpses.