title: Reference range and characteristic of uterine artery Doppler in pregnant Thai women at 11-13(+6) gestational weeks.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) and to describe the characteristic of uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in pregnant Thai women at 11-13(+6) gestational weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between July 29, 2010 and September 30, 2010, 150 normal pregnant women at 11-13(+6) weeks of gestation who were attending at the antenatal care clinic, Department of Obstetrics and Genecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University were recruited. Pulsatility index (PI) of the uterine artery was measured and mean PI was calculated and plotted against gestational age. Presence or absence of uterine notching in relation to laterality was also noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean +/- SD uterine artery PI was 1.73 +/- 0.42. When segregated for gestation age, uterine artery PI was 1.78 +/- 0.41 at 11 weeks, 1.72 +/- 0.41 at 12 weeks, and 1.66 +/- 0.43 at 13 weeks' gestation. The uterine artery Pl was 1.84 +/- 0.37 with presence of notching and was 1.59 +/- 0.43 without notching. The uterine artery notching was presented in 29 (19.3%), 24 (16%), and 27 (18%) of the patients at 11, 12, and 13 weeks respectively. The uterine artery notching was absent in 27(18%), 23 (15.3%), and 20 (13.3%) of patients at 11, 12, and 13 weeks respectively. Thirty-nine patients (26%) demonstrated unilateral notch, 12 (8%) of the patients demonstrated ipsilateral notch, 19 patients (12.7%) demonstrated contralateral notch, and eight (5.3%) demonstrated unilateral notch with central placenta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Normal reference range and characteristics of uterine artery Doppler velocimetry in the presented population was established This may serve as a basis for a future study in patients with abnormal placental function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Genecology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Orapin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rattanapuntamanee
authors.forename: Boonchai
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uerpairojkit
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D055815:Young Adult