![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLQ16ZvK-Xer4SYT7nIQHVk4zRqKLAQBLGMIGxQcluj3Kxqt7NglxRWfjTx5iJHXXdxUskaRVf-2VKF-VjAsSdaFYMqmLhZ5ymJ7exooYrHEuLMUZipfKK74Zt5Lr49rHqklujaD6BtlR/s320/z_scale.bmp)
The horizontal axis (x-axis) is Body Surface Area axis. Calculate your Body Surface Area by going to this site: http://www.halls.md/body-surface-area/bsa.htm, and typing in the required values.
Now if your BSA is 1.79 (height 192cm, weight 60kg), look in the chart, on the horizontal axis, and mark a point approximately where 1.79 lies. Now check if your aortic root at Sinuses of Valsalva fall within the safe zone (the greyed out area). For "Young adults" with a BSA of 1.79, the safe aortic diameters are from 2.5 to 3.4 cm diastole.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8YkM642ikykSj3dJOrxurJmKr1JEuHn80WK-TKlACDLYN3stS83_ZD_r9v2rrH_b-q87yrwLhVN81SWiap0ucq4LGkfhVCR1Nqr7JQq-NZYmq76WHenRdDZKSpa34uwlguLTduezge6d/s320/aortaMeasure.bmp)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgVsWUYbhy80cTQqtmgWuJUSnDlMWgicZytVEaRAQSVqWTt15LyznXNYx674Ik630PaTy9maTMcleDmqe1nTv7U6sbMvpxXa5jqH9jnnDNP19FJ8bcASUOCaEDtZJ57cxCCZFa4Wgw_r3/s320/feignebaumAODims.bmp)
The Aorta is a long pipe that is NOT uniform in diameter. Measuring the aortic diameter at a random location, via a echo-cardiogram or CT, is of no use if your purpose is to compare your aortic diameter against a statistically significant percentage of the population, which is what the Z scale is all about. The reading is taken at the Sinuses of Valsalva at diastole! Also note that: what is considered a "safe" aortic value may vary, as indicated by the second and third image. The second image is taken from: "Essential Echocardiography - Scott Solomon" and the third one from: "Feignebaum's Echocardiography, 6e". The most accurate way is to compare your body mass using the Z-scale ans see if you lie within a statistics based safe zone.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dAT6SeSw1hgIdh1mtsZXNDoT_exHyId3N9tynKXwN9cGxWK_6V-LleHuhR5TLC3zdU8pyPFfqHd0xtW_2NGTGL4jVArdDojjZpi9Qd6wYIPvgWU1vA0rqBTDwdYkFkVYTWNUu5xYAJel/s400/aortaSOV.bmp)
Note the 4 positions where you need to take the aortic measurements for Marfan's patients. The radiographic view is the PLAX - Parasternal Long Axis View and the mode is 2 Dimensional (2D mode).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_pHgwE4Z810tc6d5seUPCdU5lsaPBMjdQhHaZH8ZqRSZfi3Qyb4AvrD_OID4G_5tSjy93uN_glOe2vk4-fnF0r4efoP8gr7l2rQPqKkJEuPZ6XnPch8YE2lP9D36e-TRjkCp9p8B4c5m/s400/aorticRoot.bmp)
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