Our objective was to establish normal ranges of left and right ventricular mass and function with cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine gender differences. Seventy-five healthy subjects (age range 8-55, mean 28 yr) were studied with cine MRI. Ten dogs were imaged for autopsy validation with a mean difference between actual and MRI-determined mass of 0.2 A +/- 8.4 g. Intraobserver and interobserver variability and interstudy variability were 5-6%. All parameters were significantly different between males and females except ejection fraction and the left ventricular mass to end-diastolic volume ratio. Agreement with published autopsy series, including gender differences, was excellent. This study presents normative MRI data that can be used for comparing individual patients and for further study of right and left ventricular interaction.

Cine MRI allows quantitative evaluation of both RV and LV mass and function late after atrial repair of TGA. Longitudinal studies that include these measurements should prove useful in determining the mechanism of late RV failure in these patients. On the basis of these early data, inadequate hypertrophy does not appear to be the cause of late dysfunction in this patient group.

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