Comparison of Placental Elasticity and Different Spectral Doppler Indices in Normal and Intrauterine Growth Restricted Fetuses

Abstract

Objective: Comparison of Placental Elasticity and different spectral Doppler indices in normal and intrauterine growth restricted fetuses to establish efficacy of shear wave elastography in early detection of Intrauterine Growth Restricted (IUGR). Design: Cross sectional comparative. 290 pregnant women previously diagnosed by ultrasound as normal and intrauterine growth restriction fetuses which were included in this study, placental elasicity in both groups was evalauted by SWE (shearwave elastography) and compared. Methods: Primarily both groups were scanned for grayscale and Color Doppler ultrasonography in which we took the measurements of resistivity and pulsatility indices of umbilical artery (UA), uterine artery and MCA (middle cerebral artery). In these groups placental elasticity was evaluated by SWE .The ratios of strain were compared between both groups. Statistical study was carried out by using Mann-Whitney test. Cut-off values for elasticity were analyzed by plotting receiver operative characteristic curve (ROC), sensitivity. Specificity and DA (diagnostic accuracy) for IUGR were designed established on Shear wave elastography measurements. Results: The mean placental elasticity in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and in normal groups was 28.71+7.28 and 5.64+1.53, respectively while in the IUGR group median placental elasticity was 27+7 and 5.50+2 with statistically elevated median among patients in the IUGR group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Among IUGR feasts, the values of placental stiffness are very high; SWE can be utilized for IUGR early detection like a non-invasive, auxiliary tool for gray-scale and color Doppler.