Left atrial dimensions in growth and development: Normal limits for two-dimensional echocardiography

Reference values for normal left atrial dimensions have been based primarily on blind M-mode measurements, with no reports based on two-dimensional echocardiography to provide a comprehensive analysis of the two-dimensional measurements from infancy to old age. This report analyzes the left atrial dimensions from two-dimensional echocardiographic studies in 268 normal healthy subjects to determine normal limits and relations among linear, area and volume measurements of the left atrium. The group mean values change with body size, fitting well to the exponential growth model (r = 0.78 to 0.92). The variance about the mean (which determines normal limits) is represented effectively by a quadratic function of body surface area (r = 0.84 to 0.99). The variables determined by this modeling simplify evaluation of normal limits for any body size at any desired level of confidence, and the data are useful reference standards for interpretation of two-dimensional echocardiograms.