T. Hitschold et al., LOW TARGET BIRTH-WEIGHT OR GROWTH-RETARDATION - UMBILICAL DOPPLER FLOW VELOCITY WAVE-FORMS AND HISTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF FETOPLACENTAL VASCULAR TREE, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 168(4), 1993, pp. 1260-1264
OBJECTIVE: The placental vascular architecture of small-for-gestatonal
-age fetuses seems to have an impact on the flow patterns in the umbil
ical arteries. STUDY DESIGN: Blood flow velocity waveforms of the umbi
lical arteries were measured by Doppler ultrasonography in nine small-
for-gestational-age fetuses with elevated systolic/diastolic ratios of
the umbilical arteries, seven small-for-gestational-age fetuses with
normal flow patterns, and 14 appropriate-for-gestational-age fetuses w
ith normal flow patterns. After delivery histomorphometric placental i
nvestigations were performed. RESULTS: Reduced end-diastolic flow velo
cities were significantly associated with both a reduction of vascular
ization within the terminal villi and adverse diffusion conditions, in
dicating insufficient functional maturity. The perfusion and diffusion
capacity of small-for-gestational-age placentas with normal umbilical
artery flow velocity waveforms was similar or even slightly better co
mpared with the appropriate-for-gestational-age control values. CONCLU
SION: These data suggest that Doppler flow velocimetry in the umbilica
l arteries is predictive of a vascular lesion within the placentas of
small-for-gestational-age fetuses.