Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Ultrasound Imaging of the Thoracic and Abdominal Aorta in Mice to Determine Aneurysm Dimensions
Published on: March 8, 2019
Echocardiographic study of aortic root diameter in healthy children
Piraye Kervancioglu1, Mehmet Kervancioglu, Cudi M Tuncer
1Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. piraye@dicle.edu.tr
Insights
This study establishes normal aortic root diameter reference values for healthy children using echocardiography. These BSA-corrected values aid in evaluating pediatric cardiac conditions and prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Aortic root diameter measurement via echocardiography is crucial for assessing aortic root dilatation.
- Dilatation indicates prognosis for aortic regurgitation and risk of dissection or rupture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normal reference values for aortic root diameters in healthy children using echocardiography.
- To provide age and body surface area (BSA)-corrected data for pediatric echocardiographic evaluations.
Main Methods:
- M-mode echocardiography was performed on 229 healthy children aged 1 day to 15 years.
- Aortic root diameters were measured and corrected for body surface area (BSA).
- Children were stratified into six BSA groups for analysis.
Main Results:
- Aortic root diameters ranged from 7.6 to 24 mm (mean 14.8 mm).
- BSA-corrected diameters ranged from 10.7 to 40.6 mm/m2 (mean 19.9 mm/m2).
- Aortic root diameter increased with age, weight, and BSA, but BSA-corrected values were higher in younger children.
Conclusions:
- The study provides BSA-adjusted reference data for aortic root diameters in children.
- These reference values are essential for echocardiographic assessment of pediatric cardiac diseases.
- This data supports improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic evaluation in pediatric cardiology.
Objective:
Echocardiography is commonly used to measure the internal diameter of aortic root, which provides the evaluation of aortic root dilatation. Aortic root dilatation provide information concerning prognosis of aortic regurgitation and predisposition to aortic root dissection or rupture. The purpose of the study was to create normal values for aortic root diameters by using echocardiography in healthy children.
Methods:
We obtained the aortic root diameters in 229 normal children, aged one day to 15 years by using M-mode echocardiography. We performed the echocardiograms from the Department of Pediatric Echocardiography Laboratory, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, Turkey. We divided the children into 6 groups according to their body surface area (BSA): 0.20-0.25 m2, 0.25-0.50 m2, 0.50-0.75 m2, 0.75-1.0 m2, 1.0-1.25 m2, and 1.25-1.50 m2. We corrected the aortic root diameters for BSA.
Results:
The aortic root diameters in children were 7.6 mm to 24 mm with a mean value of 14.8 mm. The corrected aortic root diameter for BSA ranged from 10.7 to 40.6 mm/m2 with a mean value of 19.9 mm/m2. Aortic root diameters increased with age, weight and BSA. In contrast, aortic root diameter/BSA values were higher in younger children.
Conclusion:
The presented aortic root diameters according to the BSA will serve as reference data for echocardiographic evaluation of patients with various cardiac diseases.
