Intervillous blood flow in the third trimester gravid rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta): Use of sonographic contrast agent and harmonic imaging

A properly implanted and functioning placenta is essential for the normal o utcome of pregnancy. As pregnancy advances, an increasing supply of materna l blood, which reaches the intervillous space of the placenta via the spira l arteries, is necessary for continued growth and development of the fetus. Presumably, deficient blood flow to the intervillous space can lead to pla cental ischaemia and an unfavourable outcome, such as pre-eclampsia. In thi s study, we used a primate model, where echocontrast-enhanced harmonic imag ing was utilized to demonstrate placental intervillous blood flow without v isualization of fetal blood circulation within the chorionic villi. We prop ose that this technique, which requires further assessment of efficacy and safety prior to use in humans, is a potentially useful non-invasive clinica l tool for assessing intervillous blood flow in the third trimester of preg nancy. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.