title: [Echographic characteristics of the corpus luteum in early pregnancy: morphology and vascularization].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  the purpose of this research was to evaluate the morphological aspects and vasculature of the corpus luteum (CL) based on ultrasound parameters during early pregnancy and to assess their relationship with early pregnancy loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  this was a prospective cohort study of 90 pregnant patients between 6 and 8 weeks plus 6 days weeks of gestation. We included women at low risk, without acute or chronic systemic disease and with spontaneous conception.
  
  
  METHODS
  use of drugs or smoking, drugs inducing ovulation, history of more than one abortion, no heartbeat visible in the embryo and impossibility of visualization of the corpus luteum. The size, volume, morphological aspects, resistive index, and peak systolic velocity of the corpus luteum were measured by transvaginal sonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ninety patients were included in the study. Maternal age ranged from 15 to 41 years (mean 28.6 ± 5.8 years). The corpus luteum could be visualized in 87 patients (96.7%), 79 patients had normal pregnancies (90.1%), whereas spontaneous losses occurred in 8 cases (9.9%). In a comparison of the survivors and losses, there was no difference in mean CL diameter (21.8 versus 20.0 mm; p=0.108, Mann-Whitney test), mean CL volume (4.2 versus 3.0 cm³; p=0.076, Mann-Whitney test), mean resistive index (0.55 versus 0,58; p=0.220, Mann-Whitney test), peak systolic velocity (15 versus 15 cm/s; p=0.757, Mann-Whitney test). There was a positive relation between maternal age and resistive index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  no apparent correlation was found between the morphological and vascular aspects of the corpus luteum in early normal pregnancies and first-trimester pregnancy losses.
authors.affiliation: Médico Plantonista e Ecografista da Maternidade do Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade Federal do Paraná – UFPR Curitiba (PR), Brasil. ospareja@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Octavio da Silveira
authors.initials: Oda S
authors.lastname: Pareja
authors.forename: Almir Antonio
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Urbanetz
authors.forename: Lorena Ana Mercedes Lara
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Urbanetz
authors.forename: Newton Sérgio
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Mauri José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Piazza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult