![]() Informed consent was obtained from each subject and the Institutional Review Board of our institute approved this study (R-0603-188-170). The total of 300 patients consisted of 6 age groups. In the total patient group, risk factors of atherosclerosis such as smoking and diabetes mellitus were 9.7% and 9%, respectively. And we excluded patients with obvious atherosclerotic plaque on CT in the patient group. Patients were excluded if they had the following: signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease, paraaortic disease or obvious aortic disease, such as aneurysm, thrombus or dissection. The reasons for CT examination of the patients included malignant neoplasm ( n = 197), benign neoplasm ( n = 28), infectious disease ( n = 25), inflammatory disease ( n = 24), routine check-up ( n = 21), and autoimmune disease ( n = 5). The subjects agreed to undergo an extension of their portal phase scan range to cover the entire aorta for participation in this study. The purposes of this study were to establish reference values of the aorta obtained by helical CT in asymptomatic Korean adults and to analyze the relationship between these values and sex, weight, height, age and hypertension.Īortic diameters were measured prospectively in 300 Korean adults who were scheduled to undergo a CT for a variety of non-vascular clinical problems. But, to our knowledge, no publication up until now has reported on these aortic measurements in a population of Korean adults. To distinguish the normal from the enlarged aorta, it is necessary to standardize the values of "normal" aortic dimensions. In spite of the pivotal role of CT in aortic evaluation, only limited measurements of the aorta have been published ( 5 - 14). CT has evolved to be the mainstay of evaluation owing to its accuracy and reproducibility, as well as its speed, simplicity, and true 3-dimensional capabilities. Accurate assessment of aortic size is a key component in the detection of aneurysms and in guiding therapeutic decisions. And for patients with degenerative or traumatic aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta exceeding 5.5 cm, saccular aneurysms, or postoperative pseudoaneurysms, endovascular stent grafting should be strongly considered when feasible ( 4). According to the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association guidelines, for patients with isolated aortic arch aneurysms between 3.5-4.4 cm in diameter, it is reasonable to reimage using computed tomographic imaging or magnetic resonance imaging at 12-month intervals to detect enlargement of the aneurysm. Recently, the incidence of thoracic aortic aneurysms has been estimated to be increasing and there are around 10.4 cases per 100000 person-years ( 3). ![]() Aortic aneurysm is a common, potentially lethal, but treatable disease, particularly if detected before dissection or rupture. After introduction of helical computed tomography (CT) in the late 1980s, imaging of the aorta has become an accepted and widely used procedure for the evaluation of patients with aortic dissection, stenosis, or aneurysm formation ( 1, 2).
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