title: Acceptable size of the pulmonary valve ring in congenital cardiac defects.
abstract: Because congenital defects are being corrected at progressively younger ages, knowledge of the normal sizes of cardiac orifices and their acceptable limits is becoming increasingly important. A graphically corrected table of normal children's heights and pulmonary artery diameters is given. In addition, reasons are presented for the belief that a decrease in the cross-sectional area of up to 50% of normal may be considered acceptable during corrective procedures; in light of present knowledge any further decrease in cross-sectional area, in particular below 25% of normal, should probably not be left uncorrected.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001830:Body Surface Area; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000473:pathology*