Placental localization by liquid crystal thermography.
The accuracy of determining placentation by using plates of cholesteric thermocrystals has been studied, with the actual placental site being defined as that shown by ultrasound B scanning. In our study, 43 patients were examined, including eight with placenta previa. Although all eight cases of placenta previa were identified, there were three false-positive test results. It is believed that suitable modification of the composition of the liquid crystal mixture will improve the accuracy of this simple technique, which would be valuable in areas where sophisticated equipment is not yet available.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta; D011247:Pregnancy; D013817:Thermography; D014465:Ultrasonics