title: Assessment of maternal Doppler parameters of ophthalmic artery in fetuses with growth restriction in the third trimester of pregnancy: A case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the Doppler parameters of the ophthalmic artery of pregnant women carrying fetuses with growth restriction (FGR) compared with normal fetuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 pregnant women (60 FGR and 60 normal fetuses) between 32 and 40 weeks of gestation. FGR diagnosis was based on an estimated fetal weight below the 10th percentile of the Hadlock curve. Ophthalmic artery Doppler images were obtained with a linear transducer, with color Doppler examination of the region medial to the optic nerve. The following indices were obtained: pulsatility index, resistance index, peak systolic velocity, second peak velocity (P2), end diastolic velocity, and P2 / peak systolic velocity ratio. The Mann-Whitney U-test and Student's t-test were used to compare the groups with regard to quantitative variables, and the χ(2) -test was used for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulsatility index and resistance index were significantly lower in pregnant women with FGR than in those with normal fetuses, with P < 0.001 in both indices. P2 and end diastolic velocity were significantly higher in pregnant women with FGR than in those with normal fetuses (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004, respectively). The P2 / peak systolic velocity ratio was significantly higher in the FGR group than in the control group (P < 0.001). In FGR subgroups, with (17 fetuses) and without (43 fetuses) uterine artery Doppler abnormalities, no significant changes were observed between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the third trimester of pregnancy, we observed significant differences in the ophthalmic artery Doppler parameters of pregnant women with FGR compared with those with normal fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayana Alves De Brito
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Araujo Júnior
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Talita Micheletti
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Helfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina Rabachini
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Caetano
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Perez
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zamarian
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Fernandes
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Moron
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angélica Lemos Debs
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciano Marcondes Machado
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nardozza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Doppler; fetal growth restriction; ophthalmic artery; uterine artery