MATERNAL SERUM CA-125 IS OF PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN PATIENTS WITH UTERINEBLEEDING IN THE DETECTION OF SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE NEONATES

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether matern al serum CA 125 determination in women with uterine bleeding has a pro gnostic value in the detection of women at risk for delivering a small -for-gestational-age neonate. Study design: The patients population co nsisted of women with uterine bleeding at a gestational age greater th an 20 weeks. Patients with abruptio placentae, placenta previa, fetal distress and history of coagulopathy were excluded. Maternal serum CA 125 was measured at admission. Receiver operating characteristics curv e analysis and logistic regression were used for statistical purposes. Results: Fifty-nine women were enrolled into the study. Six of these had a small-for-gestational-age neonate, 8 had premature rapture of me mbranes and 33 delivered preterm. No relationship was found between ma ternal serum CA 125 concentrations and preterm delivery or FROM. Women who delivered a small-for-gestational-age infant (10.1%) had lower ma ternal serum CA 125 levels than those who delivered an appropriate-for -gestational-age infant (P < 0.02). Patients with uterine bleeding and serum CA 125 less than or equal to 10 U/ml had a twofold risk to deli ver a small-for-gestational-age neonate. Sensitivity,specificity,posit ive and negative predictive values were 66.6%, 79.2%, 26.6% and 95.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Our results show that a decreased maternal serum CA 125 concentration in women with uterine bleeding during the s econd half of pregnancy is of prognostic value in identifying those wh o will deliver a small-for-gestational-age infant.