Predicting risks of preeclampsia and small for gestational age infant by uterine artery Doppler.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of uterine artery Doppler as a screening test for preeclampsia and/or having a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant in healthy pregnant women.


METHODS
Color Doppler ultrasound was used to examine both uterine arteries in 400 healthy pregnant women at 24.8 +/- 2.0 (range, 22 to 28) weeks of gestation. The mean pulsatility index of both uterine arteries was calculated and the presence of an early diastolic notch in the waveform was noted.


RESULTS
Twenty-six (6.5%) of the 400 women developed preeclampsia and/or had an SGA infant. The optimal cutoff value for the mean pulsatility index in predicting preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant was 0.857. When using a high mean pulsatility index and/or the presence of any early diastolic notch, the detection of preeclampsia and/or having SGA infant were a sensitivity of 76.9%, a specificity of 52.9%, a positive predictive value of 10.2%, and a negative predictive value of 97.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with an abnormal uterine artery Doppler great a considerably higher risk for developing preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant.
Phupong
Vorapong
V
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok, Thailand. vorapong.p@chula.ac.th
Dejthevaporn
Thewin
T
D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008403:Mass Screening; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging