Automated Visualization and Quantification of Spiral Artery Blood Flow Entering the First-Trimester Placenta, Using 3-D Power Doppler Ultrasound.

ABSTRACT: The goal of our research was to quantify the placental vascularity in 3-D at 11-13 + 6 wk of pregnancy at precise distances from the utero-placental interface (UPI) using 3-D power Doppler ultrasound. With this automated image analysis technique, differences in vascularity between normal and pathologic pregnancies may be observed. The algorithm was validated using a computer-generated image phantom and applied retrospectively in 143 patients. The following features from the PD data were recorded: The number of spiral artery jets into the inter-villous space, total geometric and PD area. These were automatically measured at discrete millimeter distances from the UPI. Differences in features were compared with pregnancy outcomes: Pre-eclamptic versus normal, all small-for-gestational age (SG

SUBMITTER: Stevenson GN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6479225 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature