title: Aortic isthmus and cardiac monitoring of the growth-restricted fetus.
abstract: Aortic isthmus acts as an arterial watershed between the cerebral and placental circulations, connecting 2 parallel fetal ventricular pumps. It plays a crucial role in the fetal circulatory dynamics. Information about aortic isthmus blood flow may improve the management of sick fetuses. However, perceived technical difficulties limit the clinical use of aortic isthmus Doppler for fetal hemodynamic monitoring. Changes in aortic isthmus blood flow pattern seem to reflect fetal cardiovascular status accurately and predict perinatal and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in intrauterine growth restriction. This review evaluates the available scientific information and discusses the role of aortic isthmus in fetal circulation.
authors.affiliation: Women's Health and Perinatology Research Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Sykehusveien 38, N-9038 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Acharya
authors.forename: Ashlie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tronnes
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rasanen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal