title: Is there a role for fetal ductus venosus and hepatic artery Doppler in screening for fetal aneuploidy in the first trimester?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the utility of ductus venosus (DV) and hepatic artery (HA) doppler in pregnant women who have high risk for aneuploidy in first trimester combined screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was performed between February 2011 and February-2012, at a tertiary referral hospital. Singleton pregnancies with high risk for aneuploidy in combined screening test and normal nuchal translucency (NT) measurements were included in the study group. Measurements of DV Pulsatility Index of Veins (PIV) and HA Pulsatility Index (PI) were compared between the study group and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the study period, 104 women with singleton pregnancies were evaluated for DV and HA measurements and among these, 64 women met the inclusion criteria. A control group that comprised 40 women with similar gestational age, normal NT measurements and low-risk in first trimester combined tests was generated. DV-PIV measurements were significantly higher (p = 0.03), whereas HA-PI measurements were similar (p > 0.05) in women who had high-risk for aneuploidy in first trimester combined test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that the addition of DV-PIV and HA-PI measurements to the first trimester combined screening might increase the accuracy for Down syndrome detection.
authors.forename: Cihan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Togrul
authors.forename: Gulnur M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ozaksit
authors.forename: Kerem D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Seckin
authors.forename: Eralp
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baser
authors.forename: Mehmet F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Karsli
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gungor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology