[Pediatric echocardiographic patterns: analysis of structural cardiovascular development]

To identify principal components that characterize cardiovascular structure across age groups.

Cross-sectional analysis of a secondary database including 3,215 individuals under 18 years. Measurements encompassed left ventricular parameters (diameters, areas, lengths, and wall thicknesses), thoracic aorta (annulus, root, sinotubular junction, ascending aorta, and arch), atrioventricular valves, pulmonary arteries, and coronary arteries. The population was classified into three age strata. Multivariate statistics assessed suitability for factor analysis with KMO and Bartlett tests; principal component analysis using the Kaiser criterion and Varimax rotation identified latent patterns and age-specific sentinel variables.

Sampling adequacy was high in all groups (KMO > 0.86; Bartlett p < 0.001). In children aged 0-5 years, a single component explained > 83% of the variance. In school-age children (6-12 years), five factors explained 71% of the variance. In adolescents (13-17 years), seven independent components accounted for 72%, with high loadings across multiple indicators, indicating progressive complexity and independence among cardiovascular domains with maturation.

The pediatric heart progresses from uniform growth to a differentiated architecture; adolescence marks anatomical specialization of chambers, walls, aorta, pulmonary circulation, and coronary arteries.