Original Research

Reference values for atrial size and function in children and young adults by cardiac MR: A study of the german competence network congenital heart defects

  1. Samir Sarikouch MD1,2,*,
  2. Hermann Koerperich PhD3,
  3. Dietmar Boethig MD4,
  4. Brigitte Peters MD5,
  5. Joachim Lotz PhD6,
  6. Matthias Gutberlet PhD7,
  7. Philipp Beerbaum MD8,†,
  8. Titus Kuehne PhD9,†

Article first published online: 20 APR 2011

DOI: 10.1002/jmri.22521

Issue

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Volume 33, Issue 5, pages 1028–1039, May 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sarikouch, S., Koerperich, H., Boethig, D., Peters, B., Lotz, J., Gutberlet, M., Beerbaum, P. and Kuehne, T. (2011), Reference values for atrial size and function in children and young adults by cardiac MR: A study of the german competence network congenital heart defects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging, 33: 1028–1039. doi: 10.1002/jmri.22521

Author Information

  1. 1

    Hannover Medical School, Department of Heart, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery, Germany

  2. 2

    Heart and Diabetes Center Bad Oeynhausen, Department of Congenital Heart Disease, University of Bochum, Germany

  3. 3

    Heart and Diabetes Center Bad Oeynhausen, Institute for Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Bochum, Germany

  4. 4

    Hannover Medical School, Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Germany

  5. 5

    University of Magdeburg, Institute for Biometry and Medical Informatics, Germany

  6. 6

    University of Goettingen, Department of Radiology, Germany

  7. 7

    Heart Centre Leipzig, Department of Radiology, University of Leipzig, Germany

  8. 8

    Division of Imaging Sciences, King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom

  9. 9

    Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Department of Congenital Heart Disease / Pediatric Cardiology, Germany

  1. †

    Drs. Beerbaum and Kuehne contributed equally to this work.

*Hannover Medical School, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625 Hannover, Germany

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 APR 2011
  2. Article first published online: 20 APR 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 19 JAN 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 8 SEP 2010

Funded by

  • Competence Network Congenital Heart Disease, Germany; Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Grant Number: FKZ 01G10210, 01GI060

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Keywords:

  • heart disease;
  • pediatrics;
  • MRI;
  • volumetry;
  • atria

Abstract

Purpose:

To provide reference data for atrial size and function during childhood and adolescence by cardiac MR (CMR).

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively examined 115 healthy children and adolescents (mean age, 12.4 ± 4.1 years; range, 4.4–20.3 years) by CMR using a stack of standard two-dimensional steady-state free-precession slices acquisition covering the whole heart in transverse plane. Maximal and minimal volumes of both atria and their respective calculated cyclic volume change (CVC) and emptying fraction (EMF) were determined and reference centile curves were computed (lambda-mu-sigma [LMS]-method).

Results:

Gender differences were noted for atrial volumes and derived parameters. Maximal right atrial (RA) volume for girls was 53.3 ± 11.8 mL/m2 and 58.1 ± 15.7 for boys (P = 0.064), minimal RA volume for girls/boys was 23.2 ± 6.2/27.0 ± 7.9 mL/m2 (P = 0.004). Maximal left atrial (LA) volume for girls/boys was 44.2 ± 8.7/46.7 ± 10.1 mL/m2 (P = 0.143) and minimal LA volume for girls/boys was 19.2 ± 3.9/21.5 ± 5.1 mL/m2 (P = 0.009). For both atria, CVC was higher for boys, but EMF higher for girls. Percentiles of RA/LA volumes showed steeper increase in boys than in girls, who in fact showed a plateau after age 14.

Conclusion:

Pediatric sex-specific reference centiles are provided to improve clinical interpretation and facilitate future research involving CMR-derived atrial function. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:1028–1039. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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