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Macro-microscopical and histological methods were used to study the age-related peculiarities of human anal glands in 267 practically healthy subjects of both sexes of various ages (from newborns to 102 years). Topography of anal glands was described, their numbers and dimensional parameters were determined in the subjects of different age. Maximal total number of these glands, maximal length and width of their initial region, as well as maximal number of initial portions within it, were found at the age of 22-35 years. Subsequently, as the age increased, these parameters tended to decrease. Connective tissue fiber content in the glands was found to increase during postnatal ontogenesis. Along the course of common excurrent duct in submucosa and in mucosa, some dilated regions were found, especially in aged and senile persons.

By means of complex histological and injection methods, including roentgenovasography and morphometry, 140 preparations of the human rectum have been studied during the late and middle fetal period, as well as during all periods of the postnatal ontogenesis. On the lateral walls of the columnar zone of the anal canal, places where the internal haemorrhagic nodes occur especially often, peculiar incapsulated and nonincapsulated microglomal cavernous bodies have been revealed. A large vascular peduncle connects them with the superior rectal artery and vein (according to 2-4 and 8-10 o'clock on the clock face) as complexes consisting of 2-3 penicilli and glomeruli. They are connected with the portocaval anastomoses of the initial multicanal anal-columnar sources of the superior and inferior rectal veins. The latter have various obturative mechanisms represented as microvalves, subintimal muscular toruli and arteriol-venular shunts of the obturative glomal and combined type.