TRANSVAGINAL COLOR DOPPLER ASSESSMENT OF UTEROPLACENTAL CIRCULATION IN ABNORMAL EARLY INTRAUTERINE PREGNANCIES

Objective: In this study, we investigated uteroplacental circulation b y transvaginal color Doppler in abnormal early intrauterine pregnancie s. Methods: Seventy-three abnormal intrauterine pregnancies (37 blight ed ova and 36 embryonic/fetal deaths) between 7 and 13 weeks of gestat ion were assessed by transvaginal color Doppler. Uterine and spiral ar tery flow velocity waveforms (FVWs) were evaluated with the resistance index (RI). One hundred thirteen normal pregnancies served as control s. Results: Of the 73 abnormal pregnancies, spiral artery FVWs and con tinuous blood flow within the trophoblastic ring were detected in 54 ( 74.0%) and 47 (64.4%), respectively. The detection rates of both spira l artery FVW; and continuous blood flow did not differ between the bli ghted ova group and the embryonic/fetal death group. The RI of the ute rine artery FVWs was significantly lower, and gestational age at the t ime of examination was significantly higher in the embryonic/fetal dea th group than in the blighted ova group. The RI of spiral artery FVWs was lower in the embryonic/fetal death group than in the blighted ova group; however, no significant difference was found. There were also n o significant differences between the 54 pregnancies with spiral arter y FVWs and the 19 pregnancies without spiral artery FVWs. Overall, the RIs of both uterine and spiral artery FVWs were lower in abnormal int rauterine pregnancies than in normal pregnancies; however, the differe nces did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Transvaginal color Doppler may be capable of serving as a new modality for investig ating uteroplacental a limited contribution of this technique in the a ssessment of abnormal early intrauterine pregnancies.