[Doppler ultrasound perfusion measurements of uterine, fetal and fetoplacental vessels in pregnancies with ultrasonically suspected fetal growth retardation].

The aim of the present study was determination of the complex character of hemodynamic disturbances in uteroplacental, fetoplacental and fetal vessels as well as their influence on the outcome of pregnancies suspected to have IUGR on ultrasound examination. A special form of Doppler scoring was implemented for documentation of the hemodynamic disturbances. Of 82 single pregnancies with sonographically suspected IUGR, 30 women gave birth to eutrophic babies whereas 52 mothers delivered hypotrophic newborns. However, 43 cases of the hypotrophic babies had birth weight below the 5th percentile. The median values of Doppler indices for those with eutrophic babies revealed no significant differences compared to normal collective. However, significantly elevated RI and PI values in both uterine arteries, the umbilical artery and fetal descending aorta of pregnancies which resulted in hypotrophic babies indicated hemodynamic disturbance. The umbilicoplacental and uteroplacental vasculature compartments were almost equal involved with a proportion of 39% or 30% respectively. Birth weight < or = 5th percentile was associated with a further increase of pathological values in this both vascular areas. Significant rang correlations between values of Doppler indices and clinical parameters indicated a direct association between perfusion disturbances and fetal outcome of the pregnancies studied. The present Doppler score, which is a summary of all separately evaluated examined blood vessels, is suitable for clinical implementation and showed a good correlation to the clinical parameters in our study. Therefore Doppler perfusion measurements should play an important role in the clarification of suspected fetal growth retardation.