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Echocardiographic and Histological Examination of Cardiac Morphology in the Mouse
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Echocardiographic and Histological Examination of Cardiac Morphology in the Mouse

Published on: October 26, 2017

The assessment of cardiac hypertrophy at autopsy

J R Hangartner, N J Marley, A Whitehead

    Histopathology
    |December 1, 1985
    PubMed

    Insights

    Body size predicts normal adult human heart and ventricle weights, with body weight being a superior predictor over height. The Fulton technique is reliable for assessing ventricular hypertrophy, but arbitrary limits may cause errors.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiovascular Physiology
    • Human Anatomy

    Background:

    • Heart and ventricular weights correlate with body size in adults.
    • Assessing ventricular hypertrophy using wall thickness is unreliable.
    • Existing methods for determining ventricular hypertrophy have limitations.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the relationship between body size and heart/ventricular weights.
    • To assess the efficacy of different predictors for heart and ventricular mass.
    • To determine the most reliable method for diagnosing ventricular hypertrophy.

    Main Methods:

    • Correlation analysis between body size parameters (weight, height) and heart/ventricular weights.
    • Evaluation of ventricular wall thickness as an indicator of hypertrophy.
    • Application of the Fulton technique for isolated ventricular weight determination.

    Main Results:

    • Total heart weight and individual ventricular weights are proportional to body size.
    • Body weight is a more accurate predictor of heart and ventricular weights than height.
    • Ventricular wall thickness is an insensitive measure for hypertrophy.
    • Heart weight is a poor predictor for right ventricular mass but better for left.
    • The Fulton technique is the most reliable method for assessing isolated ventricular weights.

    Conclusions:

    • Body size, particularly body weight, is a key determinant of normal adult human heart and ventricular mass.
    • While the Fulton technique is the gold standard for hypertrophy assessment, arbitrary limits in its application can lead to diagnostic inaccuracies.
    • Further refinement of interpretation criteria for the Fulton technique is warranted to improve diagnostic accuracy for ventricular hypertrophy.

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