“…Methods: Echocardiographic and colour doppler flow studies were performed in 44 patients with a mean age of 9,2 years (0, [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]2).In addition to the standard Mmode measurements, the aortic diameter was determined at four discrete points (aortic valve anulus, aortic sinus, aorta ascendens, aortic arch) by two-dimensional echocardiography.The data were compared with the literature, and a control group of 80 healthy children with a mean age of 9,4 years (0,1-19,2). Results: 86% of the patients showed at least one pathologic echocardiographic abnormality: Aortic root ectasia was found in 84%, and mitral valve prolaps in 59%.Colour flow doppler detected mitral regurgitation in 25%.7% of the patients showed aortic insufficiency, and 7% had tricuspid valve involvement.In patients with the Marfan syndrome left atrial diameter corrected for body surface area was significantly greater with 2,22±0,72 cm/m 2 than in the control group with 1,15±0,38 cm/m 2 .Left ventricular enddiastolic diameter and fractional shortening showed no difference between the two groups.…”