Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 15, Issue 1 53-56, Copyright © 1996 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Assessment of luteal blood flow in normal early pregnancy

J. L. Alcazar, M. J. Acosta, C. Laparte and M. L. Ruiz
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.

A cross-sectional study was performed in 85 low-risk singleton first trimester pregnancies to assess corpus luteum blood flow during this period. Gestational age, established by measuring crown-rump length, ranged from 6 to 12 weeks. All cases were studied by transvaginal color velocity imaging and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. After corpus luteum blood flow was identified by color velocity imaging, the resistive index and pulsatility index were calculated to assess vascular resistance. Overall, detection rate of corpus luteum blood flow was 75.2%. No statistical differences were found in mean resistive index and pulsatility index among gestational weeks studied. Linear regression analysis showed that nonsignificant changes in resistive and pulsatility indices occur during the first weeks of normal early pregnancy (R2 = 0.0059 for resistive index, R2 = 0.0008 for pulsatility index). In conclusion, luteal blood flow is constant during normal early pregnancy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Takao, H. Fujiwara, S. Yoshioka, S. Fujii, and M. Ueda Monoamine oxidase A is highly expressed by the human corpus luteum of pregnancy Reproduction, September 1, 2008; 136(3): 367 - 375. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Gupta, S. Kochhar, K. Devi, A. Sehgal, and S. Malhotra Role of Ultrasonography and Color Doppler in Identification of the Corpus Luteum of Early Pregnancy Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, September 1, 2004; 20(5): 341 - 346. [Abstract] [PDF]