title: Comparison of CT-Determined Pulmonary Artery Diameter, Aortic Diameter, and Their Ratio in Healthy and Diverse Clinical Conditions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main pulmonary artery diameter (mPA), aortic diameter (Ao), and the mPA/Ao ratio, easily measured using chest computed tomography (CT), provide information that enables the diagnosis and evaluation of cardiopulmonary diseases. Here, we used CT to determine the sex- and age-specific distribution of normal reference values for mPA, Ao, and mPA/Ao ratio in an adult Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from non-contrast, ECG-gated, coronary-calcium-scoring CT images of 2,547 individuals who visited the Health Screening Center of the Severance Hospital were analyzed. Healthy individuals (n = 813) included those who do not have hypertension, diabetes, asthma, obstructive lung disease, ischemic heart disease, stroke, smoking, obesity, and abnormal CT findings. Both mPA and Ao were measured at the level of bifurcation of the main pulmonary artery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean mPA and Ao were 25.9 mm and 30.0 mm in healthy participants, respectively, while the mean mPA/Ao ratio was 0.87. Medical conditions associated with a larger mPA were male, obesity, smoking history, hypertension, and diabetes. A larger mPA/Ao ratio was associated with female, the obese, non-smoker, normotensive, and normal serum level of lipids, while a smaller mPA/Ao ratio was associated with older age. In healthy individuals, the 90th percentile sex-specific mPA, Ao, and mPA/Ao ratio were, 31.3 mm (95% CI 29.9-32.2), 36.8 mm (95% CI 35.7-37.5), and 1.05 (95% CI 0.99-1.07) in males, and 29.6 mm (95% CI 29.1-30.2), 34.5 mm (95% CI 34.1-34.9), and 1.03 (95% CI 1.02-1.06) in females, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the Korean population, the mean mPA reference values in male and female were 26.5 mm and 25.8 mm, respectively, while the mean mPA/Ao ratio was 0.87. These values were influenced by a variety of underlying medical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jae
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Yeong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Ae
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Moo Suk
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Sam
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Se Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Chest Diseases, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Ye
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed