NORMAL VALUES IN RADIOLOGY

Adrenal glands < 1 cm thick (both limbs),

4 - 6 cm length
Aorta 3 cm/2.5 cm @ the diaphragm/2.0 cm @ the mid-abdomen,
and 1.8 cm @ the bifurcation.
Greater than 5 cm has increased risk of rupture.
Appendix < 6 mm
Appendix wall < 3 mm
Azygous vein 6 mm / 10 mm Upright films/supine films
Bladder wall 3 mm / 5 mm Distended/non-distend bladder
Blood (acute hemorrhage) 40-60 Houndsfield units
Bronchi (proximal) < 2.4 cm Tracheobronchomegaly (Mournier- Kuhn disease)
Bronchus intermedius
posterior wall
< 2 mm
Carina angle < 60 degrees Sign of left atrial enlargement
Cervix (in pregnancy) > 3 cm length < 3 cm length is cervical shortening
Colon < 5 cm
Colon cecum < 8 cm > 10 cm is at increased risk of perforation
> 12 cm is toxic megacolon
Colon wall < 3 mm With lumen distended
Common bile duct 7 mm
Cysts 10-15 Houndsfield units
Duodenum see small bowel
Endometrium 3-15 mm / 5 mm Pre-menopausal/post-menopausal
Esophagus < 3 mm wall thickness In a distended esophagus
Fallopian tubes 12 14 cm
Gallbladder 5 x 10 cm
Gallbladder (lumen) 4 cm
Gallbladder wall 3 mm
Gastric folds < 1 cm in the fundus
< 5 mm in the antrum
Heart size (Cardiothoracic
index)
< 0.55 on PA, < 0.60 on AP AP view less reliable
Ileum See small bowel
Interlobar artery (right) < 16 mm in males, < 15 mm in females Measured on a PA
film, immediately lateral to the portion of the bronchus intermedius.
Intrahepatic ducts 2 mm
IVC < 28 mm
Jejunum See small bowel
Kidney 9 - 13 cm or 3 - 4 lumbar vertebral
bodies
Avg. length is 11 cm
Large bowel (lumen) 6 cm
Large bowel wall 3 mm
Liver < 15 cm
Liver CT attenuation 8 Houndsfield units > spleen
Lung diameter < 27 cm craniocaudal Less reliable sign of over-inflation
Lymph nodes see Lymph node chart
Mediastinum 8 cm On upright PA films
Not a very reliable sign
Ovarian follicle < 2.5 cm Greater than 2.5 cm is a cyst
Ovaries (postmenopausal) < 8 cc volume
Ovaries (premenopausal) 3 x 3 x 4 cm (or 18 cc volume)
Pancreas 2 cm / 1 cm / 1 - 2 cm Head//Neck/Body & tail
Pancreatic duct 3 mm (5 mm in elderly) Enlarges with age
Parathyroid
Body Imaging Normal Values Comments
Adrenal glands < 1 cm thick (both limbs), 4 - 6 cm
length
Aorta 3 cm Or 2.5 cm @ the diaphragm, 2.0 cm @ the mid-abdomen,
and 1.8 cm @ the bifurcation.
Greater than 5 cm has increased risk of rupture.
Appendix < 6 mm
Appendix wall < 3 mm
Azygous vein 6 mm / 10 mm Upright films/supine films
Bladder wall 3 mm / 5 mm Distended/non-distend bladder
Blood (acute hemorrhage) 40-60 Houndsfield units
Bronchi (proximal) < 2.4 cm Tracheobronchomegaly (Mournier- Kuhn disease)
Bronchus intermedius
posterior wall
< 2 mm
Carina angle < 60 degrees Sign of left atrial enlargement
Cervix (in pregnancy) > 3 cm length < 3 cm length is cervical shortening
Colon < 5 cm
Colon cecum < 8 cm > 10 cm is at increased risk of perforation
> 12 cm is toxic megacolon
Colon wall < 3 mm With lumen distended
Common bile duct 7 mm
Cysts 10-15 Houndsfield units
Duodenum see small bowel
Endometrium 3-15 mm / 5 mm Pre-menopausal/post-menopausal
Esophagus < 3 mm wall thickness In a distended esophagus
Fallopian tubes 12 14 cm
Gallbladder 5 x 10 cm
Gallbladder (lumen) 4 cm
Gallbladder wall 3 mm
Gastric folds < 1 cm in the fundus
< 5 mm in the antrum
Heart size (Cardiothoracic
index)
< 0.55 on PA, < 0.60 on AP AP view less reliable
Ileum See small bowel
Interlobar artery (right) < 16 mm in males, < 15 mm in females Measured on a PA
film, immediately lateral to the portion of the bronchus intermedius.
Intrahepatic ducts 2 mm
IVC < 28 mm
Jejunum See small bowel
Kidney 9 - 13 cm or 3 - 4 lumbar vertebral
bodies
Avg. length is 11 cm
Large bowel (lumen) 6 cm
Large bowel wall 3 mm
Liver < 15 cm
Liver CT attenuation 8 Houndsfield units > spleen
Lung diameter < 27 cm craniocaudal Less reliable sign of over-inflation
Lymph nodes see Lymph node chart
Mediastinum 8 cm On upright PA films
Not a very reliable sign
Ovarian follicle < 2.5 cm Greater than 2.5 cm is a cyst
Ovaries (postmenopausal) < 8 cc volume
Ovaries (premenopausal) 3 x 3 x 4 cm (or 18 cc volume)
Pancreas 2 cm / 1 cm / 1 - 2 cm Head//Neck/Body & tail
Pancreatic duct 3 mm (5 mm in elderly) Enlarges with age
Parathyroid
Paratracheal stripe < 4 mm
Never extends below the R bronchus
Pericardium -Subpericardial
fat stripe
< 10 mm
Placenta > 2 cm between placenta and internal
os
< 2 cm is low-lying placenta
Pleura 0.2 0.4 mm normal thickness Not visible by CT
Portal vein 13 mm AP Where PV crosses IVC.
Portal vein diameter < 13 mm Enlarged in portal hypertension
Prostate < 4 cm diameter, < 30 cc volume
Pulmonary artery < 2.9 cm
Pulmonary artery : Aorta
diameter
< 1:1 Ratio greater than 1:1 correlates with elevated mean Pyloric stenosis Pylo
ric canal < 1.2 mm
Pyloric muscle > 3mm
Retrosternal air space < 3 cm at 3 cm below sternomanubrial
junction
Less reliable sign of over-inflation
Small bowel (lumen) 2.5 - 3.0 cm
Small bowel folds < 4 mm
Small bowel wall 3 mm
Spleen 12 x 7 x 4 cm Any splenic dimension greater than 14 cm suggests
splenomegaly.
Splenic vein < 10 mm Associated with portal hypertension
Stomach wall 2 - 5 mm In a distended stomach
Superior mesenteric vein < 10 mm Associated with portal hypertension
Testicle (veins) < 2 mm in diameter Varicoceles are greater than 2 mm
Testicles 5 x 3 x 3 cm
Thymus < 13 mm if greater than 20 years
Thyroid 2 - 5 cm per lobe
Trachea < 3 cm Tracheobronchomegaly (Mournier- Kuhn disease)
Coronal : sagittal diameter ratio of > 0.6, narrowing in saber sheath trachea.
Tracheoesophageal stripe < 5 mm
Umbilical vein 3 mm Develops as a collateral in portal HTN.
Ureter < 8 mm
Uterus junctional zone < 12 mm (as seen on MRI) Thickening in adenomyosis
Vater s papilla (Major
papilla)
8 - 10 mm in length
Back to the top
Musculoskeletal Normal Values Comments
Acromioclavicular distance < 8 mm
Atlantodental distance Adults < 3 mm
Children < 5 mm
Basion Dens distance 12 mm
Boehler s angle < 20 degrees
C1 lateral masses < 2 mm bilaterally
Capitolunate angle < 20 degrees
Coracoclavicular distance < 13 mm
Foot angles AP talocalcaneal angle 20 - 40 degrees
Lateral talocalcaneal angle 35 - 50
degrees
Intercarpal space 2 - 4 mm
Prevertebral soft tissue
space C3-C4
5 mm Non-portable film
Preverterbral soft tissue
space C5 C7
20 mm from vertebral body Not as reliable as the C3 C4 space
Prosthesis < 2 mm at bone-cement or metal-bone
interfaces
Increased value indicates prosthetic loosening
Radius 15 - 25 degrees ulnar tilt
10 - 25 degrees volar tilt
Scapholunate angle 30-60 degrees
Scapholunate dissociation < 3 mm Terry-Thomas sign
Talus eversion stress view < 20 degree talar tilt If abnormal, tear of the ankle
medial collateral ligament
Talus inversion stress view < 15 degree talar tilt If abnormal, tear of the ankl
e lateral collateral ligament
Tibia vara Tibiofemoral angle > 15 degrees
Musculoskeletal Normal Values Comments
Acromioclavicular distance < 8 mm
Atlantodental distance Adults < 3 mm
Children < 5 mm
Basion Dens distance 12 mm
Boehler s angle < 20 degrees
C1 lateral masses < 2 mm bilaterally
Capitolunate angle < 20 degrees
Coracoclavicular distance < 13 mm
Foot angles AP talocalcaneal angle 20 - 40 degrees
Lateral talocalcaneal angle 35 - 50
degrees
Intercarpal space 2 - 4 mm
Prevertebral soft tissue
space C3-C4
5 mm Non-portable film
Preverterbral soft tissue
space C5 C7
20 mm from vertebral body Not as reliable as the C3 C4 space
Prosthesis < 2 mm at bone-cement or metal-bone
interfaces
Increased value indicates prosthetic loosening
Radius 15 - 25 degrees ulnar tilt
10 - 25 degrees volar tilt
Scapholunate angle 30-60 degrees
Scapholunate dissociation < 3 mm Terry-Thomas sign
Talus eversion stress view < 20 degree talar tilt If abnormal, tear of the ankle
medial collateral ligament
Talus inversion stress view < 15 degree talar tilt If abnormal, tear of the ankl
e lateral collateral ligament
Tibia vara Tibiofemoral angle > 15 degrees
Back to the top
Neuroradiology Normal Values Comments
Basilar artery < 5 mm
Cerebellar tonsils < 5 mm below foramen magnum 3 - 5 mm is tonsillar ectopia
> 5 mm is Chiari I malformation
Cisterna magna (fetus) 4 - 10 mm
Dural enhancement < 2 mm
Filum terminale < 1.5 mm
Foramen spinosum 4.7 mm diameter
Internal auditory canal < 2 mm variance in diamter between L &
R
Optic canal 3.5 - 6.5 mm < 1 mm variance in diameter between L & R
Pineal calcifications < 1 cm
Pituitary gland 3 - 8 mm height (coronal)
Up to 10 mm in puberty
> 10 mm in pregnancy
Pituitary stalk 2 - 5 mm in diameter
Spinal canal (thecal sac) Cervical > 7 mm
Lumbar > 10 mm
Spinal cord 7 mm AP diameter
8 mm at conus medullaris
Thecal sac AP > 7 mm / > 10 mm Cervical / Lumbar
Ventricles (fetus) < 10 mm at the atrium
Neuroradiology Normal Values Comments
Basilar artery < 5 mm
Cerebellar tonsils < 5 mm below foramen magnum 3 - 5 mm is tonsillar ectopia
> 5 mm is Chiari I malformation
Cisterna magna (fetus) 4 - 10 mm
Dural enhancement < 2 mm
Filum terminale < 1.5 mm
Foramen spinosum 4.7 mm diameter
Internal auditory canal < 2 mm variance in diamter between L &
R
Optic canal 3.5 - 6.5 mm < 1 mm variance in diameter between L & R
Pineal calcifications < 1 cm
Pituitary gland 3 - 8 mm height (coronal)
Up to 10 mm in puberty
> 10 mm in pregnancy
Pituitary stalk 2 - 5 mm in diameter
Spinal canal (thecal sac) Cervical > 7 mm
Lumbar > 10 mm
Spinal cord 7 mm AP diameter
8 mm at conus medullaris
Thecal sac AP > 7 mm / > 10 mm Cervical / Lumbar
Ventricles (fetus) < 10 mm at the atrium
Back to the top
Lines and Tubes Normal Values Comments
Central lines Near junction of SVC and right atrium
Endotracheal tube position 4 - 6 cm above carina With a neutral neck position
Intra-aortic balloon pump 2 - 4 cm below aortic knob
Swan-Ganz catheter < 1 cm from hilum
Umbilical artery cath Between T6 - T9
Umbilical vein cath Above diaphragm, near junction of IVC
and right atrium
Lines and Tubes Normal Values Comments
Central lines Near junction of SVC and right atrium
Endotracheal tube position 4 - 6 cm above carina With a neutral neck position
Intra-aortic balloon pump 2 - 4 cm below aortic knob
Swan-Ganz catheter < 1 cm from hilum
Umbilical artery cath Between T6 - T9
Umbilical vein cath Above diaphragm, near junction of IVC
and right atrium