Antenatal screening for circumvallate placenta.
OBJECTIVE
Prenatal recognition of circumvallate placenta is important because the condition may lead to some serious perinatal complications.


METHODS
The possibility of antenatal ultrasonographic screening for circumvallate placenta was examined by measuring the thickness of the placenta at the thickest point. The study group consisted of 722 unselected patients with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies seen for routine ultrasonographic examination between 18 and 21 weeks' gestation. Data were collected from 11 deliveries complicated by completely circumvallate placenta and from 711 unaffected controls.


RESULTS
The average thickness of the placenta was 2.22 ± 0.36 cm in the control subjects, whereas it was 2.74 ± 0.53 cm (P = 0.01 versus control) for circumvallate placentas. When a placental thickness greater than 3.0 cm was demonstrated, 19.4% (6/31) had a circumvallate placenta at delivery (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The current results suggest that measurement of placental thickness is useful for screening for circumvallate placenta.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Japanese Red Cross Katsushika Maternity Hospital, 5-11-12 Tateishi, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, 124-0012, Japan. czg83542@mopera.ne.jp.
Shunji
S
Suzuki
antenatal screening; circumvallate placenta; placental thickness