ResearchJul 16, 2026
Reassessing the Cardiothoracic Ratio (CTR): From a Chest X-ray Index to Opportunistic Cardiac Screening on Abdominal MRI in ADPKD
The cardiothoracic ratio is a century-old chest X-ray index of heart size. Recent work (Shen et al., JMRI 2026) shows it can be measured directly on the abdominal MRI that ADPKD patients already undergo for kidney-volume monitoring, to identify left ventricular hypertrophy. This article reviews the measurement and diagnostic performance of the CTR, focuses on its value for opportunistic cardiac screening in ADPKD, and discusses the shift toward automated, quantitative imaging.
