An Autopsy Study Conducted in Colombo South of Sri Lanka to Identify Average Sizes of Aortic and Mitral Valves of the Heart

Abstract

Introduction: There was no uniformity in measuring the anthropological measurements of the heart in the literature. It varies from study to study, country to country, region to region within the same country and author to author according to the material and methodology of the study. So measurements of the heart also vary according to the methods used by different authors in their study. The normality standard for organ anthropometric measurements must be established in a specific reference sample for each population, as the normality values may be different under genetic and environmental influences. This study is aimed to determine the average size of mitral and aortic valves of the adult heart in autopsies done in Teaching Hospital, Colombo South of Sri Lanka. Assess the average circumferential length of the mitral and aortic and also determine the relationship with socio-demographic factors such as body weight, sex, and age and body length. Methodology: This study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study done in fresh formalin unfixed adult hearts recovered from deceased died due to traumatic and unnatural causes. Samples were collected for one-year period between the periods of September 2018 to September 2019. Results: Hundred and twenty-two (122) samples (68 males and 54 females) were included in this study among 282 adult hearts collected during this period due to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average circumferential length of the mitral and aortic valves were in cm for male and females 9.49, 8.76 and 7.05, 6.88. Conclusion: This pilot study revealed that intermingling findings with western studies and eastern studies. Especially male mitral valve annular circumferences were compatible with western studies and other findings were compatible with eastern studies. A significant association was demonstrated in the circumference of MV with age and body length (p value = 0.029, 0.034). We recommend large scales multi-centered studies to find out the normality standard for heart measurements in Sri Lankan population.