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Methodological Approach to Cardiac Autopsy

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Clinico-Pathological Atlas of Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Pathological study of the heart can be performed either after the death of a subject (during an autopsy) or during the lifetime of a patient (biopsy and cardiac transplantation). The purpose of each of these studies is summarised in Table 1.1.

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Correspondence to M. Paz Suárez-Mier .

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Annex: Normal Cardiac Parameters

Annex: Normal Cardiac Parameters

Normal weight and dimensions (Silver and Freedom 1991)

 

Females

Males

Cardiac weight

0.40 % of the body weight

0.45 % of the body weight

Valvular perimeters:

10–11.1 cm

11.2–11.8 cm

Tricuspid

5.7–7.4 cm

6.1–7.7 cm

Pulmonary

8.2–9.1 cm

9.2–9.9 cm

Mitral

5.7–7.9 cm

6.0–8.5 cm

Aortic

Wall thickness

10–15 mm

LV

10–15 mm

Septum

3–4 mm

RV

Normal cardiac weights in relation to the body weight in adults (Kitzman et al. 1988)

 

Females

Males

Weight (kg)

L95

P

U95

L95

P

U95

30

133

196

287

162

213

282

32

137

201

295

167

220

291

34

141

206

302

172

227

300

36

144

211

310

177

234

309

38

148

216

317

182

240

317

40

151

221

324

187

247

325

42

154

226

331

191

253

334

44

157

230

337

196

259

341

46

160

234

344

200

265

349

48

163

239

350

205

270

357

50

166

243

356

209

276

364

52

169

247

362

213

281

371

54

171

251

368

217

287

379

56

174

255

374

221

292

386

58

177

259

379

225

297

392

60

179

262

385

229

302

399

62

182

266

390

233

307

406

64

184

270

395

237

312

412

66

187

273

401

240

317

419

68

189

277

406

244

322

425

70

191

280

411

248

327

431

72

194

284

416

251

331

437

74

196

287

420

255

336

444

76

198

290

425

258

341

450

78

200

293

430

261

345

455

80

202

297

435

265

349

461

82

205

300

439

268

354

467

84

207

303

444

271

358

473

86

209

306

448

275

362

478

88

211

309

453

278

367

484

90

213

312

457

281

371

489

92

215

315

461

284

375

495

94

217

318

465

287

379

500

96

219

320

470

290

383

506

98

221

323

474

293

387

511

100

222

326

478

296

391

516

102

224

329

482

299

395

521

104

226

331

486

302

399

526

106

228

334

490

305

403

531

108

230

337

494

308

406

536

110

232

339

497

311

410

541

112

233

342

501

314

414

546

114

235

345

505

316

418

551

116

237

347

509

319

421

556

118

239

350

513

322

425

561

120

240

352

516

325

429

566

122

242

355

520

327

432

570

124

244

357

523

330

436

575

126

245

360

527

333

439

580

128

247

362

531

335

443

584

130

249

364

534

338

446

589

132

250

367

537

341

450

593

134

252

369

541

343

453

598

136

253

371

544

346

456

602

138

255

374

548

348

460

607

140

257

376

551

351

463

611

142

258

378

554

353

466

616

144

260

381

558

356

470

620

146

261

383

561

358

473

624

148

263

385

564

361

476

629

150

264

387

567

363

479

633

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Suárez-Mier, M.P., Aguilera, B. (2015). Methodological Approach to Cardiac Autopsy. In: Lucena, J., García-Pavía, P., Suarez-Mier, M., Alonso-Pulpon, L. (eds) Clinico-Pathological Atlas of Cardiovascular Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11146-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11146-9_1

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