TY - BOOK AU - Orra, Susan TI - The Effect of Age on Fat Distribution in the Neck using Volumetric Computed Tomography SN - 0032-1052 PY - 2020/// KW - IN PROCESS -- NOT YET INDEXED KW - MedStar Washington Hospital Center KW - Surgery/Plastic Surgery KW - Journal Article N2 - CONCLUSION: This study suggests that total supra platysmal fat volume decreases with age. Additionally, older patients have more fat volume in the upper and middle thirds compared to the lower third of the supraplatysmal fat compartment, while young patients have more evenly distributed fat between thirds. These results suggest that fat deposition and redistribution in the neck occur with age and may be a contributing factor to the obtuse cervical-mandibular angle of the elderly; INTRODUCTION: Fat distribution in the superficial subcutaneous, intermediate subplatysmal, and deep planes of the neck have long interested the plastic surgeon. Neck fat distribution plays an important role in aging, yet how fat distribution changes with age is largely unknown. This study utilizes volumetric computed tomography (CT) in live patients to characterize fat volume and distribution in the neck in both young and the elderly females; METHODS: A retrospective analysis of CT angiographs taken of the head and neck was obtained for 20 "young" (age 20-35) and 20 "old" (age 65-89) females. Volume of neck fat in the supra and subplatysmal planes was quantified. Distribution of fat volume was assessed by dividing each supra and subplatysmal compartment into upper, middle, and lower thirds; RESULTS: Total supraplatysmal fat volume was greater than subplatysmal in both young and old patients. Young patients had more total supraplatysmal fat than old (p<0.0001). No difference was found between age groups in subplatysmal fat (p>0.05). No difference was found between upper/middle/lower thirds supraplatysmal fat volumes in young patients. When comparing supraplatysmal thirds within the elderly population, the middle third fat volume (28.58 +/- 20.01cm3) was greater than both upper (18.93 +/- 10.35cm3) and lower thirds (15.46 +/- 11.57 cm3) (p<0.01) UR - https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000007424 ER -