Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 11, Issue 1 41-44, Copyright © 1992 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Color Doppler imaging in the assessment of uteroplacental blood flow in abnormal first trimester intrauterine pregnancies. An attempt to define etiologic mechanisms

R. Jaffe and S. L. Warsof
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.

The addition of color Doppler imaging (CDI) to the vaginal probe now enables sonographers to study more accurately the maternal-fetal circulation at the early stages of the gestation. Doppler studies of normal intrauterine first trimester gestations have been published, and our investigation was an attempt to study uteroplacental blood flow in abnormal intrauterine first trimester gestations. Although the calculated indices did not differ significantly from those found in normal gestations, we did find a higher rate of color detection in gestations defined as anembryonic as compared to those defined as missed abortions. Circulation abnormalities probably play a significant role in early pregnancy failures, and we believe CDI will help define the different etiologic mechanisms causing these early complications.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Jauniaux, J. Hempstock, N. Greenwold, and G. J. Burton Trophoblastic Oxidative Stress in Relation to Temporal and Regional Differences in Maternal Placental Blood Flow in Normal and Abnormal Early Pregnancies Am. J. Pathol., January 1, 2003; 162(1): 115 - 125. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]