Journal article

Wave reflections in the umbilical artery measured by Doppler ultrasound as a novel predictor of placental pathology.

Lindsay S Cahill, Greg Stortz, Anjana Ravi Chandran, Natasha Milligan, Shiri Shinar, Clare L Whitehead, Sebastian R Hobson, Viji Ayyathurai, Anum Rahman, Rojan Saghian, Karl J Jobst, Cyrethia McShane, Dana Block-Abraham, Viola Seravalli, Melissa Laurie, Sarah Millard, Cassandra Delp, Denise Wolfson, Ahmet A Baschat, Kellie E Murphy Show all

EBioMedicine | Published : 2021

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The umbilical artery (UA) Doppler pulsatility index is used clinically to detect elevated feto-placental vascular resistance. However, this metric is confounded by variation in fetal cardiac function and is only moderately predictive of placental pathology. Our group developed a novel ultrasound methodology that measures wave reflections in the UA, thereby isolating a component of the Doppler signal that is specific to the placenta. The present study examined whether wave reflections in the UA are predictive of placental vascular pathology. METHODS: Standard clinical Doppler ultrasound of the UAs was performed in 241 pregnant women. Of these, 40 women met narrowly defined preset ..

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