Thoracic aorta – dilated or not?

Figures & data

Figure 1.  Sagittal view over the thoracic aorta. The figure shows were the measurement were made. AV = the level of the aortic valve, AV20 = 20 mm over the aortic valve, AV40 = 40 mm over the aortic valve, AD40 – AD20 – ADV = corresponding levels in the descending aorta.

Table I.  Results of the multivariate analyses. In the age-sex-BMI model, sex did not add significantly to the model. In the age-sex model, sex did not add significantly to the model. SE: standard error. CV: coefficient of variation.

MODEL 1: AGE-SEX-BMI
	Estimate	p	SE	Estimate	p	SE	Estimate	p	SE
	AA20			AA40			AA20/40
Intercept	15.17			13.54			14.36
Age (year)	0.10	0.0011	0.03	0.19	0.0001	0.03	0.14	0.0001	0.03
BMI	0.44	0.0002	0.11	0.39	0.0005	0.11	0.41	0.0001	0.10
R^2	0.34	CV	12.47	0.52	CV	11.24	0.47	CV	10.40
	AD20			AD40			AD20/40
Intercept	11.51			9.97			10.67
Age	0.15	0.0001	0.02	0.14	0.0001	0.02	0.15	0.0001	0.02
BMI	0.18	0.0143	0.07	0.29	0.0006	0.08	0.22	0.0029	0.07
R^2	0.56	CV	10.24	0.51	CV	11.48	0.58	CV	10.18
MODEL 2: AGE-SEX
	AA20			AA40			AA20/40
Intercept	24.82			22.45			23.64
Age	0.12	0.0001	0.03	0.20	0.0001	0.03	0.16	0.0001	0.03
R^2	0.20	CV	13.23	0.42	CV	11.93	0.34	CV	11.76
	AD20			AD40			AD20/40
Intercept	15.43			16.29			15.74
Age	0.16	0.0001	0.02	0.15	0.0001	0.02	0.16	0.0001	0.02
R^2	0.49	CV	11.27	0.40	CV	12.93	0.50	CV	11.29

Figure 2.  Normal diameter and upper limit for ascending and descending aorta related to age.

Table II.  Formulae for calculating the upper limit for thoracic aorta

LEVEL	FORMULA
AA20	33+ 0.12*AGE
AA40	30 + 0.20*AGE
AA20/40	31 + 0.16*AGE
AD40	22 + 0.15*AGE
AD20	21 + 0.16*AGE
ADV20/40	21 + 0.16*AGE