OBJECTIVE: Awareness of normative values of extra orbital structures would provide useful information to interpret the radiological images better and use them for diagnostic purposes. This study aimed to reveal the average values of major extraocular structures measured on magnetic resonance images.
METHODS: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, magnetic resonance (MR) images of 256 orbits of 128 patients were re-interpreted regarding the measurements of major orbital structures. Extraocular muscles, superior ophthalmic vein, and optic nerve-sheath complex were measured on orbital MR images of these patients. The data distributions were presented by box-plot analyses for each parameter, and the measurement results were analyzed regarding gender and age groups.
RESULTS: Lateral rectus muscle thickness (LR), inferior rectus muscle thickness (IR), globe position (GP), and interzygomatic line (IZL) values were higher in the male group than in the female group (p values were < 0.001, 0.003, 0.020, and < 0.001 respectively). LR, the thickness of the superior group muscles (SUP GR), IR, superior oblique muscle thickness (SOBL), and the thickness of optic nerve-sheath complex (ON) values indicated a significant relationship between age groups. There was a significant, positive, and low-level correlation between age and LR, SUP GR, and IR values (p values were < 0.001, 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides quantitative data on normative values of orbital structures with gender and age group comparisons. Clinicians or surgeons can easily use the measured values to gather diagnostic information from the orbital region.

OBJECTIVE: Nerve size is a commonly used sonographic parameter when assessing suspected entrapment of the ulnar nerve. We aimed to create a robust set of normal values, based on a critical review of published normal values.
METHODS: We performed a systematic evaluation of studies on normal ulnar nerve sizes, identified in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. Using meta-analyses, we determined pooled mean cross-sectional area (CSA) values for different anatomical locations of the ulnar nerve throughout the arm. Subgroup analyses were performed for gender, probe frequency, in- or exclusion of diabetic patients, position of the elbow and Asian versus other populations.
RESULTS: We identified 90 studies of which 77 studies were included for further analyses after quality review, resulting in data from 5772 arms of 3472 participants. Subgroup analyses show lower CSA values at at the wrist crease and proximal to the wrist crease when using low frequency probes (< 15 MHz) and at the wrist crease, proximal to the wrist crease, proximal forearm and the distal upper arm in Asians. CSA values were lower when in flexed position compared to extended position for the cubital tunnel inlet only. No difference was found for gender.
CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review provides a comprehensive set of normal values at sites along the entire length of the ulnar nerve. This provides a foundation for clinical practise and upon which future studies could be more systematically compared.

Increased sizes and dysfunction of the left atrium have been related to adverse outcomes. 3D-echocardiography is more accurate than 2D-echocardiography in estimating LA volumes and ejection fraction. However, the use of 3DE for LA analysis is limited by the absence of established reference values. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide reference ranges of LA maximum and minimum volumes indexed for body surface area (LAVi max and LAVi min, respectively), and LA-EF assessed by 3DE in healthy adults. Data search was conducted from inception through September 15, 2021, using the following Medical Subject Heading terms: left atrial/atrium, three-dimensional/3D echocardiography. The study protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021252428). 15 studies including 4,226 healthy adults (51% males) and reporting 3DE values of LAVi max, LAVi min and LA-EF were selected. LAVi max, LAVi min and LA-EF mean and reference values were equal to 25.18 ml/m2 (95% CI 23.10, 27.26), 11.10 ml/m2 (10.01, 12.18) and 55.94% (51.92, 59.96), respectively. No influential studies were identified. Pooled estimates per age group- and sex were also estimated. By meta-regression analyses, we identified variability in LA volumes and LA-EF depending on participants\' age, ethnicity and number of heart cycles at 3D multi-beat acquisition. At individual patient data analysis conducted on 374 subjects, a software effect on LA-EF was shown. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides reference values of LAVi max, LAVi min and LA-EF assessed by 3DE in healthy adults, encouraging 3DE evaluation of the LA evaluation in daily practice.

Our purpose is to provide an overview and to systematically review the strengths and limitations of studies on pediatric and adolescent normal values for cardiovascular MRI parameters. A literature search was performed within the National Library of Medicine using the following keywords: normal, reference values, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, and children/pediatric. Eleven published studies evaluating cardiovascular MRI measurements in normal children were included in the present analysis. Our results revealed reasonable consistencies in the protocols employed for cardiovascular MRI. Inter- and intraobserver variability analyses were performed in most studies and generally showed acceptable reproducibility. However, several numerical and methodological limitations emerged. Besides small sample sizes (the largest study enrolled 114 subjects), data for some structures (pulmonary arteries, aortic arch) were limited, and neonates/infants were poorly represented (eg, only two studies). There was heterogeneity regarding measurement normalization (eg, for gender, age, or both), and data were mostly expressed as mean values, while z-scores (commonly used in pediatric echocardiography) were rarely employed. Theoretically, a z-score or a standard deviation of ±2 is considered pathological. Furthermore, differences among races and ethnic groups were not evaluated. In conclusion, our analyses revealed an important need for generation of pediatric and adolescent cardiovascular MRI nomograms built over a wide population of healthy children, using consistent methodologies and with consideration of potentially relevant confounders. More data on expected abnormal values in specific CHD populations (eg, univentricular hearts) also need to be defined. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy Stage: 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1222-1235.

There is a crescent interest on normal adult echocardiographic values and the introduction of new deformation imaging and 3D parameters pose the issue of normative data. A multitude of nomograms has been recently published, however data are often fragmentary, difficult to find, and their strengths/limitations have been never evaluated.
OBJECTIVE: (I) to provide a review of current echocardiographic nomograms; (II) to generate a tool for easy and fast access to these data. A literature search was conducted accessing the National Library of Medicine using the keywords: 2D/3D echocardiography, strain, left/right ventricle, atrial, mitral/tricuspid valve, aorta, reference values/nomograms/normal values. Adding the following keywords, the results were further refined: range/intervals, myocardial velocity, strain rate and speckle tracking. Forty one published studies were included. Our study reveals that for several of 2D/3D parameters sufficient normative data exist, however, a few limitations still persist. For some basic parameters (i.e., mitral/tricuspid/pulmonary valves, great vessels) and for 3D valves data are scarce. There is a lack of studies evaluating ethnic differences. Data have been generally expressed as mean values normalised for gender and age instead of computing models incorporating different variables (age/gender/body sizes) to calculate z scores. To summarize results a software (Echocardio-Normal Values) who automatically calculate range of normality for a broad range of echocardiographic measurements according to age/gender/weight/height, has been generated. We provide an up-to-date and critical review of strengths/limitation of current adult echocardiographic nomograms. Furthermore we generated a software for automatic, easy and fast access to multiple echocardiographic normative data.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine normal values for fetal left ventricular (LV)-myocardial performance index (MPI) in Indian population and to assess its relation to advancing gestation and fetal heart rate (FHR).
METHODS: Two hundred pregnant women without any pregnancy-related complications and whose fetuses were shown to have structurally normal hearts were enrolled in this study. Doppler waveform involving simultaneous display of mitral inflow and LV outflow was obtained in all. Various intervals including isovolumetric contraction time (IVCT), isovolumetric relaxation time (IVRT), and ejection time (ET) were measured and then the MPI was calculated using the formula IVCT + IVRT/ET. Also the correlation between MPI and gestation age and FHR was assessed. We also reviewed the literature on the use of MPI for the assessment of fetal LV function.
RESULTS: The normal MPI in second and third trimester fetuses of Indian population was 0.42 ± 0.03. The mean IVCT was 33 ± 4 milliseconds (ms), mean IVRT was 39 ± 5 ms, and mean ET was 169 ± 9 ms. The mean heart rate was 148 ± 8 bpm and the mean PR interval was 111 ± 10 ms. There was no significant association of LV-MPI with either FHR or advancing gestation.
CONCLUSIONS: MPI is a useful parameter for the assessment global cardiac function. MPI has the advantage of not being affected by FHR, ventricular size, and geometry or image quality. The review of literature shows its significant importance in monitoring complicated pregnancies.

OBJECTIVE: What is the mean Berg Balance Scale score of healthy elderly people living in the community and how does it vary with age? How much variability in Berg Balance Scale scores is present in groups of healthy elderly people and how does this vary with age?
METHODS: Systematic review with meta-analysis.
METHODS: Any group of healthy community-dwelling people with a mean age of 70 years or greater that has undergone assessment using the Berg Balance Scale.
METHODS: Mean and standard deviations of Berg Balance Scale scores within cohorts of elderly people of known mean age.
RESULTS: The search yielded 17 relevant studies contributing data from a total of 1363 participants. The mean Berg Balance Scale scores ranged from 37 to 55 out of a possible maximum score of 56. The standard deviation of Berg Balance Scale scores varied from 1.0 to 9.2. Although participants aged around 70 years had very close to normal Berg Balance Scale scores, there was a significant decline in balance with age at a rate of 0.7 points on the 56-point Berg Balance Scale per year. There was also a strong association between increasing age and increasing variability in balance (R(2) = 0.56, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Healthy community-dwelling elderly people have modest balance deficits, as measured by the Berg Balance Scale, although balance scores deteriorate and become more variable with age.