Yonsei Med J.  2005 Oct;46(5):652-657. 10.3349/ymj.2005.46.5.652.

Uterine Artery Doppler Velocimetry During Mid-second Trimester to Predict Complications of Pregnancy Based on Unilateral or Bilateral Abnormalities

• Park YW
• Lim JC
• Kim YH
• Kwon HS

• KMID: 2158145
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2005.46.5.652

Abstract

We performed this study to evaluate uterine artery Doppler velocimetry (UADV) measurement of unilateral or bilateral abnormalities as a predictor of complications in pregnancy during the mid-second trimester (20-24 weeks). We enrolled 1, 090 pregnant women who had undergone UADV twice: once between the 20th and 24th week (1st stage) and again between the 28th and 32nd week (2nd stage) of pregnancy, and then delivered at Yonsei Medical Center. UADV was performed bilaterally. Follow-up UADV was performed between the 28th and 32nd week, and the frequencies of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and preterm delivery (before 34 weeks of gestation) were determined. Chi-squared and t-tests were used where appropriate, with p < .05 considered significant. According to the results of UADV performed between 20-24 weeks of gestation, 825 women (75.7%) were included in the normal group, 196 (18.0%) in the unilateral abnormality group, and 69 (6.3%) in the bilateral abnormality group. The incidences of FGR were 8.0%, 10.2%, and 26.1%, and the incidences of PIH were 0.1%, 3.6%, and 14.5%, respectively. The incidence of PIH was significantly lower in the normal group. The incidences of preterm delivery were 2.2%, 5.6%, and 8.7%, respectively. PIH developed in 46.7% of patients with bilateral abnormal findings in both the 1st and 2nd stage tests, and developed in none of the patients with normal findings in both tests. Abnormal results found by UADV performed between the 20-24th weeks of pregnancy, such as high S/D ratios regardless of placental location and the presence of an early diastolic notch, were associated with significant increases in the incidences of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and PIH. This was true for both bilateral and unilateral abnormalities. Abnormal findings in bilateral UADV during the second trimester especially warrant close follow up for the detection of subsequent development of pregnancy complications.

Keyword

Uterus; arteries; color doppler ultrasonography; pregnancy trimester; second; pregnancy outcome

MeSH Terms

Uterus/*blood supply
Premature Birth/*diagnosis
Pregnancy Trimester, Second
Pregnancy
*Laser-Doppler Flowmetry
Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced/*diagnosis
Humans
Fetal Growth Retardation/*diagnosis
Female
Adult

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Mean and 2 standard deviations above the mean, calculated at our institute, of uterine Doppler wave forms in each gestational week.

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