Normal Value of Aortic Size and Morphological Characteristics of the Aorta in Childhood Evaluated by Two-dimensional Ultrasonography

Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery
Vol.26 No.3 2010 (219-226)

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Hiromi Ikado,¹⁾ Shinya Tsukano,²⁾ Sonoe Itoh,³⁾ Kazumi Kohyama,¹⁾ Norio Tanaka,¹⁾ Izuru Nakasone,⁴⁾ Satoshi Yazaki,⁵⁾ and Osamu Yamada⁵⁾

¹⁾Division of Clinical Physiology, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, ²⁾Department of Pediatrics, Shibata Hospital, Niigata, ³⁾Division of Clinical Laboratory, Toneyama National Hospital, ⁴⁾Division of Clinical Laboratory, National Hospital Organization Osaka Minami Medical Center, and ⁵⁾Department of Pediatrics, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan

Abstract

Background: Since there are few data available regarding the normal aortic diameter in children, it is often difficult to evaluate aortic size in aortic dilatation or stenosis. Our aim was to establish the standard value to assess the morphological characteristics of aorta in childhood using two-dimensional ultrasonography.
Methods: We studied 208 normal subjects (118 males) confirmed by echocardiography. Their mean age was 8.7 years (range, 8 days–20 years) and their height was 128 cm (45–188 cm). Aortic diameter between inside adventitia of the anterior wall and inside adventitia of the posterior wall was measured at 11 points from aortic valve annulus to abdominal aorta. We showed the relationships between each diameter and the height, and calculated seven ratios of the diameters: sinus of Valsalva to aortic valve annulus, sinus of Valsalva to sinotubular (ST) junction, ST junction to aortic valve annulus, sinus of Valsalva to thoracic aorta, and ascending aorta 1 cm distal to ST junction to three points of descending aorta (thoracic aorta, descending aorta at the diaphragm level, and abdominal aorta).
Results: The normal aortic diameters were lineally correlated with the height. The ratios showed few changes regardless of the height, respectively.
Conclusion: Normal diameter of aorta in children can be predicted from their height. The ratios of diameters from various sites may be useful for the assessment of the morphological characteristics of aorta.