Middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity and ductus venosus velocity in the investigation of nonimmune hydrops.
OBJECTIVE
This study was performed to investigate the cause of nonimmune hydrops fetalis by measuring the peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and velocity waveforms of the ductus venosus (DV) with Doppler.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study was done on 19 pregnancies referred to three university teaching hospitals for further investigation of nonimmune hydrops fetalis in 2007 and 2008. The MCA-PSV and DV velocity waveforms were recorded in all fetuses. Anemia was investigated in cases with MCA-PSV values greater than 1.50 MoM (multiple of the median). Cardiovascular causes and chromosomal abnormalities were investigated in fetuses with abnormal DV velocity.


RESULTS
Four of 19 fetuses had MCA-PSV values greater than 1.50 MoM. The causes of anemia were cytomegalovirus, parvovirus B19 infections, congenital heart disease, and Turner syndrome. Four cases had reversed flow in the DV; three of them had congenital heart disease on echocardiography; and one had a normal echocardiogram, but an abnormal karyotype was detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of the MCA-PSV and DV velocity waveforms during sonographic examination of fetuses with nonimmune hydrops fetalis may improve our knowledge about the etiology of this condition.
Borna
Sedigheh
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vali-e-Asr Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mirzaie
Fatemeh
F
Hanthoush-Zadeh
Sedigheh
S
Khazardoost
Soghra
S
Rahimi-Sharbaf
Fatemeh
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; D013599:Systole; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult