A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF PLATELET VOLUME IN HEALTHY NORMOTENSIVE WOMEN WITH BILATERAL UTERINE ARTERY NOTCHES

High uterine artery resistance characterized by bilateral notches seen on Doppler ultrasound in the second half of pregnancy is associated w ith an increased risk of adverse outcome related to pre-eclampsia and intrauterine growth retardation. We sought to establish whether there was a difference in platelet volume in healthy, normotensive women wit h high-resistance uterine artery Doppler findings compared to those wi th normal uterine artery Doppler findings. Forty-seven women were allo cated prospectively into 'bilateral notch' and 'no notch' groups at co lor Doppler imaging of the uterine arteries carried out at a mean of 2 6 weeks' gestation. The difference in platelet volume between the two groups and the relationship of adverse outcome with raised platelet vo lume and high-resistance uterine artery Doppler findings was investiga ted. Twenty-three women had no evidence of uterine artery notches and 24 had bilateral uterine artery notches. Platelet volume in the women with bilateral notches was greater than in those with no notches (8.28 fl vs. 7.46 fl; p = 0.01). However, unlike high-resistance uterine ar tery Doppler findings, increased platelet volume was not associated wi th adverse outcome. Uterine artery Doppler flow abnormalities have not previously been studied in combination with hematological or biochemi cal markers. Our findings show, for the first time, that women with bi lateral uterine artery notches have an increased platelet volume compa red to those with normal uterine artery Doppler findings many weeks be fore clinical signs of pre-eclampsia or fetal growth retardation are e vident. Women with abnormal uterine artery flow at this gestation may have other cardiovascular and hematological differences compared to th ose with normal flow.