Related Experiment Videos
Cyclic changes in the umbilical arterial flow in mono-chorionic, di-amniotic twin pregnancy
Yuichiro Nakai1, Osamu Ishiko, Junko Nishio
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Osaka City University, 1-4-3 Asaci-Machi, Abeno, 545-8585, Osaka, Japan.
Objective:
To determine the effect of arterio-arterial anastomosis on the umbilical arterial flow in mono-chorionic, di-amniotic twin pregnancy.
Subjects:
Thirty-three women with mono-chorionic, di-amniotic twin pregnancy.
Methods:
Pulsed Doppler ultrasonographic examination was performed every 4 weeks to obtain umbilical arterial flow velocity waveforms in both two fetuses.
Results:
In five of the women, cyclic flow changes in the umbilical arterial flow were detected in the smaller fetus. All of these twins had arterio-arterial anastomosis on the surface of the placenta.
Conclusion:
The fetuses in mono-chorionic and di-amniotic twin gestation who showed cyclic changes in umbilical arterial flow had arterio-arterial anastomosis. But, this characteristic flow was not observed every time.