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Am J Perinatol 2017; 34(05): 451-457
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1592347
Original Article
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Placental Pathology in Relation to Uterine Artery Doppler Findings in Pregnancies with Severe Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Abnormal Umbilical Artery Doppler Changes

Khrystyna Levytska   *
1   Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Mary Higgins   *
1   Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Sarah Keating
2   Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Nir Melamed
3   Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Melissa Walker
1   Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Neil J. Sebire
4   Department of Histopathology, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
,
John C. P. Kingdom
1   Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

04 March 2016

27 July 2016

Publication Date:
20 September 2016 (online)

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Abstract

Objectives Current guidelines for diagnosis and management of early-onset intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) rely on umbilical artery Doppler (UAD), without including uterine artery Doppler (UtAD). We hypothesized that IUGR cases with abnormal UAD but normal UtAD has a different spectrum of placental pathology compared with those with abnormal UtAD.

Study Design Retrospective review of pregnancies with sonographic evidence of IUGR and abnormal UAD prior to delivery. Cases with ≥ 1 UtAD record(s) after 18+0 weeks' gestation and placental pathology were included. Cases were stratified according to initial UtAD pulsatility index (PI) values (n = 196): normal (n = 19; PI < 95th centile for gestational age/no notching), intermediate (n = 69; PI ≥ 95th centile/no/unilateral notching) and abnormal (n = 108; PI ≥ 95th centile/bilateral notching). Pregnancy outcomes and placental pathology were compared between groups.

Results Women in the normal group delivered later than those in the abnormal group (30.1 ± 3.5 vs. 28.0 ± 3.5 weeks; mean ± standard deviation; p = 0.03). Their placentas exhibited higher rates of chronic intervillositis (15.8 vs. 0.9%; p = 0.01), chorangiosis (15.8 vs. 0.9%; p < 0.0001), and massive perivillous fibrin deposition (21.1 vs. 7.4%; p = 0.05), but had lower rates of uteroplacental vascular insufficiency (26.3 vs. 79.6%; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion Approximately 10% of pregnancies with early-onset IUGR and abnormal UAD exhibited normal UtAD waveforms. They delivered later, and their placentas exhibited unusual placental pathologies.

Keywords

placental pathology - early-onset IUGR - uterine artery Doppler - umbilical artery Doppler

* These authors contributed equally to this work.


 

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