Coronary artery indexed diameter and z score regression equations in healthy Chinese Han children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Biometry

Background:

• Accurate measurement of coronary arteries via two-dimensional echocardiography is essential for clinical decisions in pediatric coronary disease.
• Establishing normative reference data is critical for interpreting coronary artery dimensions in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish coronary artery reference indexed diameter and z-score regression equations in a large cohort of Chinese Han children.
• To provide a tool for accurate assessment of coronary artery dilation in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

• Measured proximal right (RCA), left main (LMCA), left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary artery diameters, and aortic annulus diameter in 506 healthy Chinese Han children (1 day to 18 years).
• Calculated coronary-aorta index (coronary artery-to-aortic annulus ratio).
• Performed regression analyses relating coronary artery dimensions to body surface area (BSA) to develop z-score calculator models.

Main Results:

• Cubic regression models yielded adjusted R(2) values ranging from 0.505 to 0.553 for RCA, LMCA, LAD, and LCx coronary arteries.
• Mean RCA/aortic annulus ratio was 0.14 ± 0.02 (range, 0.07-0.24).
• Mean LMCA/aortic annulus ratio was 0.15 ± 0.03 (range, 0.10-0.28).

Conclusions:

• The study provides essential reference values for coronary artery z-scores and regression equations specific to Chinese Han children.
• The developed coronary-aorta index serves as a rapid method for identifying coronary dilation in this population.