The Clinical Significance of Uterine Artery Doppler Flow Velocity Waveforms as a Screening Test in the Second Trimester Pregnancies / 대한주산의학회잡지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: We performed uterine artery doppler flow velocity waveforms between 20~24 weeks of gestation to access the screening properties for predicting pregnancy-induced hypertension or intrauterine growth retardation in general population. METHODS: Total 458 normal pregnant women were enrolled in this study. The abnormal uterine artery doppler flow velocity waveforms was defined that systolic/diastolic ratio is greater than 2.6 or diastolic notch waveforms are seen. RESULTS: The incidence of PIH and IUGR among study population was 3.5% and 3.5%, respectively. The incidence of PIH in normal and abnormal uterine artery Doppler flow velocity waveforms group were 2.0% and 11.4%, and those of IUGR were 3.4% and 4.2%, respectively. The incidence PIH or IUGR among abnormal doppler group was 14.2%, which was higher than in normal group of 5.4%. This method had a sensitivity of 34.3%, a specificity of 86.1% and positive predictive value of 15.7% for the prediction of PIH and IUGR. CONCLUSION: Although abnormal uterine artery doppler flow velocity waveforms is associated with an increased risk of PIH or IUGR, the lowered positive predictability lead to apply the follow-up examination or standardization of doppler ultrasonography.