Live tool: parameterz.github.io/dilated-af
A single-page reference for the adult aortic root and proximal ascending aorta, indexed to height.
It's built for a common situation at the echo machine: the aorta looks big, but indexing to body surface area says it's normal. Height indexing avoids the BSA problem (BSA rises with weight, which shrinks the indexed value in larger patients). This page gives the height-indexed answer, along with a sentence you can paste straight into a preliminary report.
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Reference ranges at this patient's height. Enter sex, age group and height (cm or ft/in). Each segment card shows its normal range in mm.
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Measured values, interpreted. Enter a measurement on a card to see:
- index (mm/m) and whether it is normal, dilated or small (mean ± 2 SD)
- expected value and normal range, in mm/m and in mm at this height
- % of expected (index ÷ reference mean) and z-score
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NORRE and WASE side by side where both apply, with a radio button to choose which one the report statement uses.
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Copy-ready report text, for example:
When indexed to height, the sinuses of Valsalva are dilated: 23.4 mm/m (upper limit of normal 23.2 mm/m, equivalent to 40.6 mm at this patient's height; 123% of expected).
Chips turn the parts of the sentence on or off (limit and mm at height, % expected, z-score, reference). You can edit the text in place before copying, or use Copy all statements to copy every card at once.
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Both timings and both edge conventions from NORRE (end-diastole and mid-systole, leading edge and inner edge), with a measurement diagram for each. End-diastole inner edge also includes the short-axis sinus-to-commissure dimensions.
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Your settings (timing, convention, chips, reference choice, diagram shown or hidden) are remembered in the browser. Patient data is not saved and never leaves the page.
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Prints cleanly (black and white, no controls).
| Segments | Timing / convention | Stratified by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORRE | SOV, STJ, AAO (+ sinus-to-commissure) | End-diastole or mid-systole; leading or inner edge | Sex |
| WASE | SOV, STJ | End-diastole, leading edge only | Sex, age group (18–40, 41–65, >65) |
- Saura D, et al. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic normal reference ranges for proximal aorta dimensions: results from the EACVI NORRE study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2017;18(2):167–179. doi:10.1093/ehjci/jew053
- Patel HN, et al.; WASE Investigators. Normal values of aortic root size according to age, sex, and race: results of the World Alliance of Societies of Echocardiography Study. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2022;35(3):267–274. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2021.09.011
Reference values are in scripts/data.js (mean and SD, mm/m). WASE values are from Table 3 of the paper.
- Limits are mean ± 2 SD of the height-indexed value. A value is flagged when its rounded index (0.1 mm/m) falls outside that range.
- This is a reference aid, not a diagnostic device. Use it alongside clinical judgment and your lab's own standards.
If you use this tool in a presentation, poster or paper, please cite it (GitHub's "Cite this repository" button gives APA and BibTeX):
Dyar D. Dilated AF (Dilated Aorta Finder), version 2.0.0. 2026. https://parameterz.github.io/dilated-af/
Please also cite the NORRE and/or WASE papers above for the reference values.
The original two-page version (upper limits only) is still available at parameterz.github.io/dilated-af/v1/ and as release v1.0.
No build step and no dependencies: clone the repo and open index.html in a browser.
Dan Dyar, MA, ACS, RDCS, FASE · ORCID 0000-0002-2025-8944
Reference images modified from Oxborough et al. and Saura et al., used under CC BY 4.0.