[Standardized morphometric studies of the right pulmonary artery in the suprasternal M-mode echocardiogram in childhood].

236 children of all age-groups, without any evidence of cardiopulmonary disease, underwent measurement of the diameters of the right pulmonary artery (RPA) in the suprasternal M-mode echocardiogram with respect to the characteristic motion pattern of the RPA. Since a high correlation was found between these diameters and height (r = 0.94; y = 1.66 square root X - 6.19), the children were divided into 9 sub-groups according to height, and mean values were calculated for all parameters in each sub-group. The systolic expansion of the RPA ranged from 18% to 30% within groups and correlated only weakly to height (r = 0.28). Suprasternal echocardiographic standards for measurement of the RPA may enhance the usefulness of this echocardiographic approach in pediatrics.