Background: Measurement of atrial volumes by MRI is becoming increasingly important in pediatric cardiac disorders. However, MRI normal values for atrial volumes in children are lacking.
Purpose: To establish pediatric reference values for atrial volumes.
Study type: Retrospective.
Subjects: A total of 155 healthy children from two large institutions (103 male, age 13.9 ± 2.8 years, range 4-18 years).
Field strength/sequence: A 1.5 T; balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequence.
Assessment: The monoplane and biplane area-length methods were used to measure minimal and maximal left and right atrial volumes (LAmin , LAmax , RAmin , and RAmax ) from four-chamber (4ch) and two-chamber (2ch) MR cine images. Centile charts and tables for atrial volumes were created.
Statistical tests: Descriptive statistics, lambda-mu-sigma (LMS)-method of Cole and Green, univariable and multivariable linear regression models. A P value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.
Results: In the multivariable linear model, body surface area was significantly associated with all atrial volumes and sex was significantly associated with RA volumes, LA volumes measured in the 2ch-view as well as biplane LAmax. Average atrial volumes measured: monoplane 4ch: LAmin 13.1 ± 4.8 mL/m2 , LAmax 33.4 ± 8.8 mL/m2 , RAmin 18.5 ± 6.8 mL/m2 , RAmax 33.2 ± 9.6 mL/m2 ; monoplane 2ch: LAmin 12.7 ± 4.9 mL/m2 , LAmax 30.5 ± 9.5 mL/m2 ; biplane: LAmin 12.3 ± 4.5 mL/m2 , LAmax 30.9 ± 8.7 mL/m2 .
Data conclusion: Pediatric MRI reference values for atrial volumes have been provided.
Technical efficacy: 2 EVIDENCE LEVEL: 4.
Keywords: cardiac MRI; children; left atrium; normative; reference values.
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.