Radiological Indices for Estimation of Normal Heart Sizes

Abstract

The use of some ratios of cardiac, thoracic and aortic diameters as is noted in cardiothoracic ratio CTR,has proved to be of immense benefit in clinical assessment of normal size of heart, advanced clinical procedures, and in epidemiological studies. This research used the PA chest radiographs of 1,018 healthy male and female Nigerians within the southeast of ages 4 to 80 years to determine two ratios; Aorticothoracic Ratio (ATR) and Cardioaortic Ratio (CAR).These two ratios correlated significantly with CTR, heart, chest and aortic diameters. ATRgivesa ratio of the aortic diameter with thoracic diameter while CARis a ratio of the cardiac diameter with aortic diameter. From the
research, any CTRless than 50%, ATRless than 20%, and CARless than 41% is an indication of normal heart and aortic arch diameter.