Normative Values of Pediatric Thoracic Aortic Diameters Indexed to Body Surface Area Using Computed Tomography

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish normative values for the thoracic aorta diameter in pediatric patients from birth to 18 years of age using computed tomography (CT) measurements and to create nomograms related to body surface area (BSA). Methods: A total of 623 pediatric patients without cardiovascular disease (42.1% females; from 3 d to 18 y old) with high-quality, non–electrocardiogram-gated, contrast-enhanced CT imaging of the chest were retrospectively evaluated. Systematic measurements of the aortic diameter at predetermined levels were recorded, and demographic data including age, sex, ethnicity, and BSA were collected. Reference graphs plotting BSA over aortic diameter included the mean and Z−3 to Z+3, where Z represents SDs from the mean. Results: The study population was divided into 2 groups (below 2 and greater than or equal to 2 y old). There were no significant differences in average aortic measurements between males and females. Both age groups exhibited significant positive correlations among all size-related metrics (all P
Source: Journal of Thoracic Imaging - Category: Radiology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research