Maternal venous hemodynamics assessment for prediction of preeclampsia should be longitudinal.
OBJECTIVE
To address the question whether maternal venous abnormalities exist at the onset of, or develop during the course of pregnancy.


METHODS
We present five case reports of patients with early onset preeclampsia (EPE), late onset preeclampsia (LPE), gestational hypertension (GH), essential hypertension (EH) and an uncomplicated pregnancy (UP). Maternal renal and hepatic vein Doppler waves and maternal venous pulse transit times (VPTT) were assessed in early pregnancy and again shortly before delivery.


RESULTS
In all cases, maternal VPTT were normal in early pregnancy and changed to abnormal values in EPE and LPE, which was not true for UP and GH or EH.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations support the view that venous hemodynamic dysfunction of preeclampsia (PE) develops during the course of pregnancy. Therefore, assessment of an individual's venous function for prediction of PE should be serial and longitudinal.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg, Genk , Belgium .
Tinne
T
Mesens
Kathleen
K
Tomsin
Jolien
J
Oben
Anneleen
A
Staelens
Wilfried
W
Gyselaers
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000503:physiopathology; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D055815:Young Adult
Hypertension; maternal venous hemodynamics; preeclampsia; pregnancy; venous Doppler waves