title: Normal values of aortic dimensions, distensibility, and pulse wave velocity in children and young adults: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic enlargement and impaired bioelasticity are of interest in several cardiac and non-cardiac diseases as they can lead to cardiovascular complications. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is increasingly accepted as a noninvasive tool in cardiovascular evaluation. Assessment of aortic anatomy and bioelasticity, namely aortic distensibility and pulse wave velocity (PWV), by CMR is accurate and reproducible and could help to identify anatomical and bioelastic abnormalities of the aorta. However, normal CMR values for healthy children and young adults are lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-one heart-healthy subjects (age 16.4 ± 7.6 years, range 2.3-28.3 years) were examined using a 3.0 Tesla CMR scanner. Aortic cross-sectional areas and aortic distensibility were measured at four positions of the ascending and descending thoracic aorta. PWV was assessed from aortic blood flow velocity measurements in a aortic segment between the ascending aorta and the proximal descending aorta. The Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS) method was used to obtain percentile curves for aortic cross-sectional areas, aortic distensibility and PWV according to age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortic areas, PWV and aortic distensibility (aortic cross-sectional areas: r = 0.8 to 0.9, p < 0.001; PWV: r = 0.25 to 0.32, p = 0.047 to 0.009; aortic distensibility r = -0.43 to -0.62, p < 0.001) correlated with height, weight, body surface area, and age. There were no significant sex differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides percentile curves for cross-sectional areas, distensibility and pulse wave velocity of the thoracic aorta in children and young adolescents between their 3rd and 29th year of life. These data may serve as a reference for the detection of pathological changes of the aorta in cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str, 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Voges
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jerosch-Herold
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hedderich
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pardun
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Dominik Daniel
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Gabbert
authors.forename: Jan Hinnerk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Petko
authors.forename: Hans-Heiner
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rickers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001827:Body Height; D001830:Body Surface Area; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D055815:Young Adult