Determining the Normal Aorta Size in Children

Abstract

The range of normal effective diameters of the aorta at multiple levels and the common iliac arteries was determined for children of different sizes and both sexes. Measurements outside of the normal ranges are consistent with aneurysm or hypoplasia.

Distribution of blood flow velocity in the normal aorta: Effect of age and gender

“…The average aortic diameters found in this study are comparable to previous studies; men showed larger aortic dimensions than women . After normalizing ascending aorta diameter by BSA, no significant difference was observed between gender for the current cohort.…”

Aortic Root Size by Echocardiogram Compared With Computed Tomography in Adolescents With Pectus Excavatum

“…There are multiple studies in adults evaluating normal values for aortic root measurements by CT, 7-9 but only 1 known in children. 2 Our results are similar to studies in the adult population, with echo consistently resulting in underestimation of the aortic root size. 9,10 Tsang et al 11 compared multiple levels of the aortic root by echo and contrast-enhanced, ECG-gated CT in a normal adult cohort and found that the echo measurements were significantly lower than CT measurements at all levels of the aortic root, confirmed by the slightly negative bias of transthoracic echocardiography.…”

“…Our cohort's aortic root measurements were similar to the reported aortic root measurements by contrast-enhanced MRI angiography and CT scan. 1,2 An average difference of 2.5 mm is clinically significant; 12.5% of our patients had an aortic root 5 mm bigger than the echo measurement indicated. We suspect that this underestimation is a result of the inability to align the probe precisely along the plane of the axis of the aortic root.…”

“…In the current era, there are minimal CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) nomograms for pediatric patients. 1,2 Standardization, or Z-values, are obtained from echo-derived data. We challenged the reliability of echo alone in evaluating the aortic root in the presence of a chest deformity such as pectus excavatum.…”

Normal abdominal aorta diameter in infants, children and adolescents

“…The detailed evaluation of vascular anatomy with multi‐detector row CT (MDCT) has reduced the need for interventional diagnostic procedures . The use of both modalities in children, however, is limited . The issue of radiation exposure is a concern in CT.…”