Noncontrast CT established normative main pulmonary artery diameter reference values of 29 mm in men and 27 mm in women; exceeding the 90th percentile increased dyspnea risk (OR 1.31; P=0.02).
Observational (n=3,171)
Normative reference values for main pulmonary artery diameter by noncontrast cardiac CT are established as 29 mm in men and 27 mm in women, with a normal PA to ascending aorta ratio of 0.9.
Effect estimate: OR 1.31
p-value: p=0.02
BACKGROUND: Main pulmonary artery diameter (mPA) and ratio of mPA to ascending aorta diameter (ratio PA) derived from chest CT are commonly reported in clinical practice. We determined the age- and sex-specific distribution and normal reference values for mPA and ratio PA by CT in an asymptomatic community-based population. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 3171 men and women (mean age, 51±10 years; 51% men) from the Framingham Heart Study, a noncontrast, ECG-gated, 8-slice cardiac multidetector CT was performed. We measured the mPA and transverse axial diameter of the ascending aorta at the level of the bifurcation of the right pulmonary artery and calculated the ratio PA. We defined the healthy referent cohort (n=706) as those without obesity, hypertension, current and past smokers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, history of pulmonary embolism, diabetics, cardiovascular disease, and heart valve surgery. The mean mPA diameter in the overall cohort was 25.1±2.8 mm and mean ratio PA was 0.77±0.09. The sex-specific 90th percentile cutoff value for mPA diameter was 28.9 mm in men and 26.9 mm in women and was associated with increase risk for self-reported dyspnea (adjusted odds ratio, 1.31; P=0.02). The 90th percentile cutoff value for ratio PA of the healthy referent group was 0.91, similar between sexes but decreased with increasing age (range, 0.82-0.94), though not associated with dyspnea. CONCLUSIONS: For simplicity, we established 29 mm in men and 27 mm in women as sex-specific normative reference values for mPA and 0.9 for ratio PA.
Truong et al. (2011) conducted an observational in Asymptomatic community-based population (n=3,171). Noncontrast cardiac computed tomography was evaluated on Normal reference values for main pulmonary artery diameter (mPA) and ratio of mPA to ascending aorta diameter (ratio PA) (OR 1.31, p=0.02). Noncontrast CT established normative main pulmonary artery diameter reference values of 29 mm in men and 27 mm in women; exceeding the 90th percentile increased dyspnea risk (OR 1.31; P=0.02).