title: Colour Doppler analysis of ovarian and uterine arteries in women with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is a clinically-controlled study designed to investigate uterine and ovarian blood flow in patients with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve women with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea and 13 eumenorrhoeic subjects (controls) were enrolled. Colour and pulsed Doppler was used to visualize the uterine and ovarian arteries and the blood vessels within the ovarian stroma in both groups. Four blood flow indices were calculated: the pulsatility index, the resistance index, the peak systolic velocity and the end-diastolic velocity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peak systolic velocity underwent the most significant change in amenorrhoeic patients, being significantly lower in comparison with that of controls, both in the uterine (P = 0.0009) and ovarian (P = 0.001) arteries. Compared with controls, the end-diastolic velocity of the ovarian artery was significantly lower (P = 0.039) in amenorrhoeic patients, and was also lower in the uterine artery (though not statistically significantly so). A reduction in blood flow was also evident in the ovarian stroma in amenorrhoeic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant reduction in blood flow observed in hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea suggests that estrogens play an important role in regulating both uterine and ovarian blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Padova, Italy. pellpatri@iol.it
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pellizzari
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Siliotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gangemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D004967:Estrogens / Q000172:deficiency*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply*; D014655:Vascular Resistance
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens