[Color Doppler ultrasound of uterine, fetoplacental and fetal blood vessels in the 2nd trimester in normal pregnancies].
We investigated 69 healthy women with normal pregnancy and delivery in order to establish normal values for the second trimester of gestation. In a cross-sectional study we measured the pulsatility index (PI), the maximal systolic velocity (V-MAX) and the mean velocity (V-MEAN) in the uterine arteries (UAA), the umbilical artery (UA), the fetal thoracic aorta (FTA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) from the 14th to the 24th week of gestation. A regression analysis shows a significant slope of the PI of UAA and UA (p < 0.01), whereas in contrast to the UA there is no significant difference of the median values of the UAA-PI from the 18th week of gestation. With progressive gestation V-MEAN of UAA increases more (p < 0.001) than V-MAX (p < 0.05) as a result of the increasing diastolic blood flow. In the UA there is also a significant rising trend of V-MAX and V-MEAN (p < 0.0001). No significant changes of the PI of FTA and MCA are seen, although there is a slight increasing trend. After the 20th week in the MCA a marked tendency to high PI-values is observed, whereas there is a change between different flowpatterns prior to the 20th week. V-MAX and V-MEAN of FTA increases significantly, but there is no change in the MCA. Our results for UAA and UA correspond to the known morphologic changes in the utero- and fetoplacental vessels in the second trimester and are comparable to other results. Particularly the physiology of the cerebral perfusion needs to be investigated more intensively. These normal values provide a good basis for early and complex assessment of a disturbed perfusion in the second trimester.
Faber
R
R
Universitäts-Frauenklinik Leipzig.
Springer
C
C
Stepan
H
H
Viehweg
B
B
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*
Farbdopplersonographie uteriner, fetoplazentarer und fetaler Gefässe im 2. Trimenon bei ungestörten Schwangerschaften.