Left atrial volume in normal Japanese adults.
BACKGROUND
Two-dimensional (D) echocardiography-derived left atrial (LA) volume has been shown to provide a more accurate assessment of LA size than the M-mode LA dimension. Our objective was to provide reference ranges of LA volume in healthy Japanese adults.


RESULTS
The study subjects consisted of 105 Japanese adults, with a mean age of 39+/-13 years (range 20-63 years old). All subjects had normal ejection fraction (>55%), no wall motion abnormalities, normal diastolic function, no valvular disease, and normal sinus rhythm. The maximum LA volume, at left ventricular end-systole just before the opening of the mitral valve, was measured by using the bi-apical (4- and 2-chamber views) Simpson's rule. Both the absolute LA volume and the volume corrected by body surface area (LA volume index) were obtained. The LA volume ranged from 21 to 53 ml (mean 37+/-8 ml) and the LA volume index ranged from 13 to 30 ml/m(2) (mean 22+/-4 ml/m(2)). The mean LA volume index + 2SDs was 30 ml/m(2).


CONCLUSIONS
Recognition of the upper limits of LA volume in normal Japanese subjects is of particular clinical relevance because it offers the opportunity of pathological LA remodeling diagnosis.
Yamaguchi
Kazuto
K
Division of Clinical Laboratory, Kobe General Hospital, Japan.
Tanabe
Kazuaki
K
Tani
Tomoko
T
Yagi
Toshikazu
T
Fujii
Yoko
Y
Konda
Toshiko
T
Kawai
Junichi
J
Sumida
Toshiaki
T
Morioka
Shigefumi
S
Kihara
Yasuki
Y
D000328:Adult; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results