Abstract
The purpose of this study is to present the reference values for cardiac size and cardiothoracic ratio change, normal range and diagnosis of cardiovascular disease in pregnancy and non pregnancy of normal Korean women using chest X-ray. The subjects of this study were 58 women, who were read as normal by chest radiologist, had chest radiography taken on both last month of pregnancy, pre-pregnancy and within 2 years following delivery. In this study, we defined the last month of pregnancy as pregnancy and before or post pregnancy as non-pregnancy. CS and CTR were measured by two radiological technologist who had clinical experience more ten years with Danzer's method. Statistical methods were paired t-test and one-way ANOVA. Significance level ${\alpha}$ was 0.05 and p-value 0.05 or less was statistically significant. For pregnancy, the mean of left and right cardiac size was $40.11{\pm}8.73mm$ and $89.51{\pm}11.9mm$, CS was $128.60{\pm}13.15mm$, CTR was $44.51{\pm}4.21%$. In non pregnancy, $36.50{\pm}8.18mm$ and $77.68{\pm}13.1mm$. CS and CTR were $114.18{\pm}14.28mm$ and $42.03{\pm}4.04%$. Both pregnancy and non pregnancy, the difference of the mean value in left and right cardiac size, CS and CTR were statistically significant (p<0.01). but comparing mean on age, height and weight, the difference of the mean value between groups was not (p>0.05). In the result of this study, the mean size of CS increased by 12.6% in pregnancy($128.60{\pm}13.15mm$) compared to the non pregnancy($114.18{\pm}14.28mm$), and increased by 9.8% in the right side of the heart and 15.2% in the left side. The mean size of CTR increased about 5.9% in pregnancy ($44.5{\pm}4.21%$) compared to non pregnancy($42.03{\pm}4.04%$).