Predicting risks of preeclampsia and small for gestational age infant by uterine artery Doppler.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of uterine artery Doppler as a screening test for preeclampsia and/or having a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant in healthy pregnant women.

METHODS: Color Doppler ultrasound was used to examine both uterine arteries in 400 healthy pregnant women at 24.8 +/- 2.0 (range, 22 to 28) weeks of gestation. The mean pulsatility index of both uterine arteries was calculated and the presence of an early diastolic notch in the waveform was noted.

RESULTS: Twenty-six (6.5%) of the 400 women developed preeclampsia and/or had an SGA infant. The optimal cutoff value for the mean pulsatility index in predicting preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant was 0.857. When using a high mean pulsatility index and/or the presence of any early diastolic notch, the detection of preeclampsia and/or having SGA infant were a sensitivity of 76.9%, a specificity of 52.9%, a positive predictive value of 10.2%, and a negative predictive value of 97.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Women with an abnormal uterine artery Doppler great a considerably higher risk for developing preeclampsia and/or having an SGA infant.