[Umbilical blood flow relations in patients with gestosis-- gestosis-specific Doppler phenomenon]

A collective of 48 pregnant women, whose pregnancies showed signs of a pregnancy-induced hypertension or gestotic tendencies was examined by Doppler ultrasound. The subject of interest was the resistance along the umbilical cord. Measurements were taken both ends of the umbilical cords. Usually, a decline of the indices is seen, which makes the difference between the two ends (Delta F) turn out positive. Pregnancies with any sign of a gestotic development, showed elevated resistances at the placental end of the cord. The indices of the foetal abdominal insertion were just about the same. Delta F changed significantly in our group of patients. Here, the values of both sides either did not differ from one another or the placental indices even exceeded the foetal ones. We called this special constellation of umbilical indices a Doppler phenomenon characterising gestotic pregnancies.