Cardiac chamber growth pattern determined by two-dimensional echocardiography

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Echocardiography
• Cardiac Morphology

Background:

• Normal cardiac development in children is crucial for identifying congenital heart disease.
• Echocardiography is a primary non-invasive tool for assessing cardiac structure and function.
• Establishing age- and size-specific reference ranges for ventricular dimensions is essential for accurate interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define normal two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of the right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) in children.
• To investigate the relationship between ventricular dimensions, body surface area, and age.
• To characterize changes in the RV/LV dimensional ratio during infancy and childhood.

Main Methods:

• Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 173 healthy subjects aged 1 day to 15 years.
• Measurements included RV and LV end-diastolic dimensions from parasternal long-axis and apical four-chamber views.
• The RV/LV dimensional ratio was calculated, and data were analyzed in relation to body surface area.

Main Results:

• Both RV and LV end-diastolic dimensions showed a logarithmic increase with body surface area.
• The RV/LV dimensional ratio decreased significantly from birth through the first few months of life.
• Ventricular shapes stabilized after infancy, remaining constant throughout childhood.

Conclusions:

• Normal echocardiographic reference ranges for pediatric ventricular dimensions were established.
• The RV/LV dimensional ratio undergoes significant early postnatal changes.
• Computed 95% prediction intervals can aid in the quantitative echocardiographic evaluation of children.