title: Strain elastography in placental dysfunction: placental elasticity differences in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies in the second trimester.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to determine if the Strain elastography (SE) of the placenta measured in the second trimester differs between normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (PE).
  
  
  METHODS
  219 singleton pregnancies who had routine anomaly scanning between the 20th and 23rd weeks of gestation were included in this observational study. Women with either posterior placentations (n = 63) or other obstetric pathologies (n = 12) were excluded from the study, leaving 144 pregnant women for the evaluation of strain ratio with SE. One hundred and one women with normal pregnancies and normal deliveries without any perinatal complications formed Group A. Twenty-eight patients who were clinically diagnosed with early onset PE before anomaly scanning formed Group B. Fifteen normotensive pregnant women with either mild proteinuria, and past history of preeclampsia during their previous pregnancies formed Group C. The strain ratios were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The strain ratio of Group B was significantly higher than those of Group A and Group C (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The placental elasticity ratios measured by SE imaging during the second trimester differ between the normal pregnancies and the pregnancies complicated by PE. SE might be used as a supplement tool in addition to the existing methods for the prediction of PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Marmara University Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Pendik, Turkey, canancimsit@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cimsit
authors.forename: Tevfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoldemir
authors.forename: Ihsan Nuri
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Akpinar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D014599:Uterus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*