title: 3D power Doppler ultrasound in early diagnosis of preeclampsia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preeclampsia is a known cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Thus, evaluation of the predicting value of comparing 3D power Doppler indices (3DPD) of uteroplacental circulation (UPC) in the first and second trimester in patients who developed preeclampsia (PE) and those who did not and testing the hypothesis that the parameters of vascularization and placenta flow intensity, as determined by three-dimensional ultrasound (3D), are different in normal pregnancies compared with preeclampsia, could be a suitable screening method.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective observational study using 3D power Doppler were performed to evaluate the placental perfusion in 96 pregnant women who came to do the ultrasound routine between 11 and 14 weeks. The placental vascular index (VI), flow index (FI), blood vessels and blood flow index (VFI) by three-dimensional Doppler histogram were calculated. All patients repeated the exam between 16 and 20 weeks. The outcome was scored as normal or preeclamptic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Placental vascular indices including VI, FI and VFI were significantly lower in preeclamptic placentas compared with controls in the study performed in the second trimester (p<0.001). There was not any statistical difference in the patients examined in the first trimester.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that 3D-power Doppler assessment of placental vascular indices in the second trimester has the potential to detect women at risk for subsequent development of PE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: raul@ecomoinhos.com.br.
authors.forename: R Moreira
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: J G L
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D021041:Placental Circulation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Placental vascularization; Preeclampsia; Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound; Vascularization indices