[Transcranial Doppler velocimetry in normotensive puerperal women].
OBJECTIVE
To know transcranial Doppler (TCD) normal values in postpartum normotensive women. To evaluate the effect of different variables on cerebral blood flow velocity.


METHODS
TCD examination was carried out in 100 postpartum normotensive women. Six intracranial arteries were evaluated. Different variables such as arterial pressure, hematocrit and clinical data related to pregnancy and delivery were recorded. A descriptive analysis of qualitative variables was made and the mean and standard deviation of each quantitative variable was calculated. We compared mean velocities (MV) by each side, and assessed the correlation between cerebral blood flow velocity and arterial pressure, hematocrit and the rest of variables.


RESULTS
Mean and standard deviations of MV were: right MCA 73.10 14.33; left MCA 75.68 15.84; right ACA 57.61 12.92; left ACA 60.14 14.35; right PCA 42.77 9.28; left PCA 45.54 9.58. Statically significant higher values of MV in the left hemispheric arteries were found. The other analysed variables did not modify the MV values.


CONCLUSIONS
In postpartum normotensive women MV values were higher in the left hemisphere. The knowledge of normal puerperium values for TCD is useful to identify cerebral hemodynamic pathological states such those in postpartum eclampsia and postpartum cerebral angiopathy.
Bernal Sánchez-Arjona
M
M
Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, España. mbs-a@ole.com
Franco-Macías
E
E
Casado-Chacón
J L
JL
Díaz-Espejo
C
C
Gil-Peralta
A
A
Cayuela-Domínguez
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*