title: Morphometrical analysis of placental functional efficiency in normotensive versus preeclamptic South African black women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the umbilical cord centrality, placental morphometrics, and functional efficiency in preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Placental morphometry of normotensive (n = 69) and preeclamptic (n = 69) patients was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant reduction in mean placental surface area (p = 0.0001), length (p = 0.0001), thickness (p = 0.016), and volume (p = 0.0001) in the preeclamptic than in the normotensive groups. Umbilical cord insertion was predominantly eccentric with marginal in early (29%) and late-onset preeclampsia (16%). Placental and birth weight was lower (p = 0.0001) in preeclampsia than in the normotensive group. Placental efficiency was reduced in early-onset preeclampsia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates reduced placental morphometrics with impaired placental efficiency in preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: a Optics and Imaging Centre , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maduray
authors.affiliation: a Optics and Imaging Centre , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.|b Womens' Health and HIV Research Group , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moodley
authors.affiliation: a Optics and Imaging Centre , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naicker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013019:South Africa; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cord insertion; morphometrics; placenta; preeclampsia; pregnancy