title: Doppler ultrasound evaluation in preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide preeclampsia (PE) is the leading cause of maternal death and affects 5 to 8% of pregnant women. PE is characterized by elevated blood pressure and proteinuria. Doppler Ultrasound (US) evaluation has been considered a useful method for prediction of PE; however, there is no complete data about the most frequently altered US parameters in the pathology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uterine, umbilical, and the middle cerebral arteries using Doppler US parameters [resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), notch (N), systolic peak (SP) and their combinations] in pregnant women, in order to make a global evaluation of hemodynamic repercussion caused by the established PE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 102 pregnant Mexican women (65 PE women and 37 normotensive women) were recruited in a cases and controls study. Blood velocity waveforms from uterine, umbilical, and middle cerebral arteries, in pregnancies from 24 to 37 weeks of gestation were recorded by trans-abdominal examination with a Toshiba Ultrasound Power Vision 6000 SSA-370A, with a 3.5 MHz convex transducer. Abnormal general Doppler US profile showed a positive association with PE [odds ratio (OR) = 2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2 - 7.3, P = 0.021)], and a specificity and predictive positive value of 89.2% and 88.6%, respectively. Other parameters like N presence, RI and PI of umbilical artery, as well as the PI of middle cerebral artery, showed differences between groups (P values < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  General Doppler US result, as well as N from uterine vessel, RI from umbilical artery, and PI from umbilical and middle cerebral arteries in their individual form, may be considered as tools to determine hemodynamic repercussion caused by PE.
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopez-Mendez
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinez-Gaytan
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cortes-Flores
authors.forename: Rene M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ramos-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Mauro A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Torres
authors.forename: Idalia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Garza-Veloz
authors.forename: Monica I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Martinez-Acuña
authors.forename: Jose I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Badillo-Almaraz
authors.affiliation: Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Unidad Academica de Medicina Humana y Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Carretera Zacatecas-Guadalajara Km, 6, C,P, 98160 Zacatecas, Mexico. margaritamf@uaz.edu.mx.
authors.forename: Margarita L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martinez-Fierro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*