title: Alterations in segmentary branch pulmonary artery blood flow velocimetry in fetuses of diabetic mothers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pulmonary blood flow in fetuses of diabetic mothers by measuring changes in fetal segmentary pulmonary artery blood flow velocimetry throughout pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight women with pregestational diabetes between weeks 18 and 38 were compared with 99 women with singleton low-risk gestations as controls. Flow velocity waveforms at the proximal middle and distal segments of the right pulmonary artery were obtained with power and color Doppler sonography in all fetuses. The pulsatility index of each segment was compared between the 2 groups. The mean value and 95% confidence interval for each segment were determined in correlation with gestational age for both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest mean pulsatility indices were obtained in the proximal segment of the pulmonary artery and were 2.25 in the diabetes group and 2.36 in controls. The mean pulsatility indices were significantly decreased in the middle and distal segments to 1.59 and 1.10 in the diabetes group and to 1.57 and 1.02 in controls (P < .05). There were no significant differences in pulsatility indices measured at the proximal and middle segments between the study and control groups. However, the mean pulsatility index +/- SD measured at the distal segment in the diabetic group was 9% higher than in controls (1.10 +/- 0.13 versus 1.02 +/- 0.12; P = .01). The mean pulsatility index (in the study and control groups) in each arterial segment did not change significantly throughout gestation (P > .1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  . In human fetuses throughout gestation, the pulmonary circulation maintains stable vascular resistance in both diabetic and normal pregnancies. However, in all gestations, the pulsatility index in each segment of the pulmonary artery is unique and reflects the proximity to the heart and the impedance at each location. The significantly higher pulsatility index in the diabetes group might be related to alterations in the microcirculation of diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. sivane@inter.net.il
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sivan
authors.forename: Boaz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weisz
authors.forename: Nitzan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shteinman
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schiff
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lipitz
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Achiron
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000196:embryology*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D012212:Rheology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal