Abstract
Baseline cell body counts were performed on 32 human ciliary ganglia obtained during 16 consecutive autopsies. The mean age of the individuals was 53.4 yr, with a range of 17-97 yr. The cell body counts ranged from 1088-6835 cell bodies per ganglion. The mean cell body count was 2473 for specimens from the right side, 2316 for the specimens from the left side, and 2394 for the combined sides. The mean counts in men were 2837 for the right sides, 2533 for the left sides, and 2685 for both sides. The mean counts in women were 2004 for the right sides, 2036 for the left sides, and 2020 for the combined sides. The decreased number of cell bodies in women compared to the population mean was not statistically significant. There was no correlation between age and cell body counts. There was also no statistically significant difference of the cell body counts from individuals with systemic hypertension, myocardial infarction, or cancer and the population mean.