All issues > Volume 35(10); 1992

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1992;35(10):1336-1342. Published online October 15, 1992.

Dimension of Normal Coronary Arteries Determined by Cross-Sectional Echocardiograph

Jung Yun JY Choi¹, Yong Soo YS Yun¹, Chung Il CI Noh¹, Jong Un JU Choi¹, I Seok IS Kang¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

In order to determine the normal values of coronary arterial dimensions in children, eighty eight children without any cardiovascular diseases were studied with cross-sectional echocardiography. Age ranged from 1 day to 15 years. Four sites (proximal right coronary artery, left main, left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary artery) were selected to measure the dimensions. The right coronary artery was measured in 84 cases and the left main in 87 cases, and the left anterior descending in 49 cases, and the left circumflex coronary artery in 20 cases. Dimensions in each site increased curvilinearly with increasing age, weight, height, and body surface area. The diameter of the left main coronary artery was about 1 mm in newborns and 3.5 mm in teenagers. The diameter of proximal right coronary artery was about 1 mm in newborns and 2.5 mm in teenagers. Individual values and 5%∼9% confidence limits in each correlation were plotted in the text. The diagrams of normal dimension should be used to assess the subtle changes of coronary arterial dimension in Kawasaki disease and other coronary artery diseases. This seems to be particulary important in infant and young children because the diameter of each coronary artery increased rapidly in this age period.

Keywords :Coronary artery, Echocardiography, Children