Growth of Radiologically Determined Heart Diameter, Lung Width, and Lung Length from 5-19 Years, with Standards for Clinical Use

Abstract

(1972). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 47, 373. Growth of radiologicaily determined heart diameter, lung width, and lung length from 5-19 years, with standards for clinical use. Heart diameter, lung width, and lung length have been measured on serial chest radiographs taken at annual intervals on 84 boys and 78 girls who were tuberculosis contacts but free of disease. Most were followed from age 5 or 6 to age 15; some till age 20. Supplementary data were available on 46 boys and 40 girls from the Harpenden Growth Study.Centile standards for these measurements and for lung area (width x length) at ages from 6 to 19 years are presented for clinical use. Mean velocity curves are given over the same age range.The lungs are exceptional in that the adolescent growth spurt is of similar magnitude in both boys and girls, and the girls' mean value does not exceed the boys' mean value in lung width even at the peak of the girls' spurt, as it does in all other body measurements except those of head and feet.The age at peak velocity for lung width and heart diameter coincides with the age for peak height velocity; the peak for lung length occurs about 6 months later than that for lung width.The heart diameter has an adolescent spurt of about equal magnitude in both sexes in these data. At age 6, heart diameter is 78% and 81 % of its adult value, respectively, in boys and girls, compared with figures of 66 to 67% for lung width, 62 to 63% for lung length, and 66 to 67% for height. A wide variation in the level of the diaphragm was found, but by the age of 20 the diaphragm was below the anterior end of the 5th rib in both males and females. In women no case fell below the 6th rib, but in men some 18% fell below it.

A Mathematical Procedure for Estimating the Spatial Relationships between Lung Function, Somatic Growth, and Maturation

“…That is to say, increases in lung function continue to occur for at least 1 y after cessation of increase in stature. These results were also suggested by Simon et al (8), who showed that the growth spurt for lung length (determined from chest radiographs) occurred 6 mo after that for standing height, for males and females ages 6-15 y.…”

Changes in the FEV1/FVC ratio during childhood and adolescence: an intercontinental study

“…E2 of online supplementary material). From infancy to early adult life, there is progressive drooping of the thoracic cage, the sternum and sternal ends of the ribs taking up lower positions relative to the vertebrae; in addition, the level of the domes of the diaphragm descends to below the anterior end of the fifth rib [12,15]. The thorax becomes elongated and more slender as thoracic width increases proportionately less than Ht.…”

“…This growth phase is associated with significant changes in alveolar number and size, the shape and stiffness of the thorax, and muscular strength [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. This potentially affects the total lung capacity (TLC) as well as the FVC, whereas the development of flows, and hence FEV1, is codetermined by airway calibre and the elastic properties of lungs and airways.…”

Sintomatología respiratoria y función pulmonar en población geriátrica de una comunidad rural gallega: un estudio piloto

“…Diversos autores han analizado esta circunstancia relacionándola con distintos factores como la diferencia en fuerza muscular (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), distintos tamaños de tronco y pulmones (28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34), diferencias en el número de alvéo-los que son más numerosos en los varones (33), y diferencias en la actividad física (35).…”