G. Mari et al., BLOOD-FLOW VELOCITY WAVE-FORMS OF THE ABDOMINAL ARTERIES IN APPROPRIATE-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE AND SMALL-FOR-GESTATIONAL-AGE FETUSES, Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology, 6(1), 1995, pp. 15-18
Citations number
NO
Categorie Soggetti
Acoustics,"Obsetric & Gynecology","Radiology,Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
The aim of this study was to describe flow velocity waveforms of abdom
inal arteries in the appropriate- and small-for-gestational-age fetus.
Splenic artery, superior mesenteric artery, hepatic artery and renal
artery velocity waveforms were obtained from 57 appropriate-for-gestat
ional-age and nine small-for-gestational-age fetuses with color flow D
oppler ultrasonography. The pulsatility index was used to quantify the
arterial waveforms. Repeated measure analysis of variance indicated s
ignificant differences in the pulsatility index values in both the app
ropriate-for-gestational-age and small-for-gestational-age fetuses. A
multiple comparison test revealed a significantly lower value for the
pulsatility index in the splenic artery when compared to that of the o
ther vessels for both the appropriate- and small-for-gestational-age f
etuses. In the small-for-gestational-age fetuses, a lower pulsatility
index value was observed at the superior mesenteric artery level when
compared to the renal artery. Because of its lower frequency of succes
sful insonation, the hepatic artery was not considered for the analysi
s. In the normal fetus, the splenic artery had the lowest pulsatility
index when compared to the other arteries we investigated This differe
nce remained in small-for-gestational-age fetuses, reflecting a lower
vascular resistance at the fetal spleen in both normal and small-for-g
estational-age fetuses. It appears that in small-for-gestational-age f
etuses the renal artery has a higher pulsatility index than the superi
or mesenteric artery, suggesting a preferential distribution of blood
flow to the bowel.