Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 8, Issue 6 315-320, Copyright © 1989 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Pulsed Doppler on a vaginal probe. Necessity, convenience, or luxury?
J. P. Schaaps and D. Soyeur
University of Liege, Hopital de la Citadelle, Belgium.
One hundred twenty-seven pregnancies were studied between 5 and 12 weeks of
amenorrhea with Doppler ultrasound coupled with a vaginal probe. These
biologically proven pregnancies had no clinical sign of abnormality;
however, 29 were detected not to be evolving. Doppler signals were obtained
from the embryonic heart, umbilical cord, trophoblastic crown,
peritrophoblastic area, and from the uterine and ovarian arteries. In
normally evolving pregnancies, no intratrophoblastic flow was detected,
whereas it was present in all missed abortions. The peritrophoblastic area
always generates a Doppler signal with an important diastolic component.
The resistance index (RI) of uterine arteries was constant during the first
trimester of pregnancy (RI = .77 +/- .15) and a protodiastolic notch was
found in 58% of the cases. The combined use of these two modalities of
examination was demonstrated. Although the clinical efficacy of the method
has not yet been demonstrated, this combination of techniques opens new
perspectives to echography and adds a dynamic dimension to morphologic
studies.
