title: Evolution of 3-D power Doppler indices of fetal brain in normal pregnancy.
abstract: We assessed the vascular indices of the anterior territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in normal pregnancies using 3-D power Doppler (3DPD). A cross-sectional study was carried out on 90 normal pregnancies between 24 and 35 weeks. All examinations were performed by a single operator using a volumetric transducer. The anterior territory of the MCA was scanned and the volumes were captured using 3DPD. The sphere mode of the VOCAL program was used to calculate the following vascular indices: vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization and flow index (VFI). Models of polynomial regression and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the correlation between gestational age (GA) and the vascular indices. The 3DPD vascular indices had a low correlation with gestational age (VI - r = 0.324, p = 0.002; FI - r = 0.375, p < 0.001; VFI - r = 0.374, p < 0.001). There was a low correlation between GA and the 3DPD vascular indices of the anterior territory of the MCA.
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics Department, São Paulo Federal University, Av. Lopes de Azevedo 888, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. lunardozza@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Luciano Marcondes Machado
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nardozza
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araújo Júnior
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simioni
authors.forename: Maria Regina
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Torloni
authors.forename: Antonio Fernandes
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Moron
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D016014:Linear Models; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*