3D-power Doppler quantification of placental vascularity in pregnancy complicated with hypertensive disorders

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if pregnancies complicated with hypertensive disorders have reduced placental vascularity than healthy pregnancies. STUDY DESIGN: Between April 2011 and July 2012, a prospective case-control study was conducted in one center. Sixty-one pregnant women with hypertensive disorder (19 with pure preeclampsia, 23 with chronic hypertension and 20 with superimposed preeclampsia) and 66 healthy pregnant women underwent 3DUS examination once during the pregnancy. Case and controls were a match according to maternal age, gestational age at ultrasound examination and parity. Placental vascularity was calculated using the 3D-power Doppler histogram using pre-established power Doppler settings. Comparison among groups and subgroups were analyzed using t-student and ANOVA tests. RESULTS: The population demographics and characteristics were similar in both groups. Mean gestational age at evaluation was 32.6±3.4 weeks. The placental vascularity index was significantly reduced in cases with hypertension (11.1±0.8%) in comparison with healthy pregnancies (15.2±1.1%; p<0.01); but with similar reduction in those with pure preeclampsia (10.7±1.1%), chronic hypertension (11.5±1.3%)and superimposed pre eclampsia (11.2±1.2%; p=0.89). CONCLUSION: Pregnancies complicated with hypertensive disorders have reduced placental vascularity than healthy pregnancies, independently of the classification of the disorder.