Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 6, Issue 2 81-84, Copyright © 1987 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Objective method of diagnosing oligohydramnios in postterm pregnancies
B. Hashimoto, R. A. Filly, C. Belden, P. W. Callen and R. K. Laros
Oligohydramnios is an important factor influencing the management of
postterm pregnancies. However, sonographic assessment of oligohydramnios
has been based largely on the subjective judgement of the sonologist. From
January 1982 to December 1984, 54 patients had articulated-arm B-scan
ultrasound examinations and were identified as postterm. Of these patients,
25 were subjectively diagnosed as having oligohydramnios. Five patients
were considered to have low normal amounts of amniotic fluid. The remainder
were considered to have normal or greater than normal quantities of
amniotic fluid. From this population, an amniotic fluid index was
determined for each patient by finding the product of the length, width,
and depth of the largest amniotic fluid pocket. Patients with a fluid index
less than 60 showed a strong association with the postmaturity syndrome.
Indeed, all but one postmature infant was born of a pregnancy with a fluid
index less than 60. No other fetal or perinatal complications were
statistically correlated with oligohydramnios in this small patient series.
