Pulmonary artery diameters measured by multidetector-row computed tomography in healthy adults

Background: The range of the diameters of pulmonary arteries (PA) is not fully shown in the current literature. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the thorax might be used for measuring diameters of the PA. Purpose: To determine the diameters of PAs in subjects with normal PA pressure by using thoracic CT. Material and Methods: 126 subjects aged between 19 and 46 years, having normal thoracic CTs (5-mm slice thickness) and normal PA pressures (<= 25 mmHg, determined by echocardiography), were included in the study. The diameters of the main, right, and left PAs were measured by using multidetector CT. Results: The main PA diameters of all the subjects showed a normal distribution, and the mean was 24.0 +/- 2.8 mm. The main PA diameters in male and female subjects also showed a normal distribution. The difference between the sexes for the main PA diameters was not significant (P=0.08). There were correlations between main PA diameter and body-mass index (BMI) (R=0.41, P=0.001) and weight (R=0.34, P=0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between main PA diameter and height (R=0.05, P=0.6). Conclusion: This study suggests that diameters of the main PA and its main branches show a normal distribution in subjects having normal PA pressures. Based on our findings, the upper limits of the main, right, and left PA diameters are 29.5 mm, 19.8 mm, and 22.1 mm, respectively, in healthy adults.