[Reproducibility of continuous wave Doppler studies in pregnancy]

The inter- and intraobserver variability of Doppler flow velocimetries of uterine, arcuate and umbilical arteries was studied using a 4 MHz continuous wave system in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. There was no significant variation in indices used to characterize the maximum frequency outline of waveforms of uteroplacental and umbilical arteries neither when two observers examined the same patient nor the examination was performed several times on the same day or over a 24 hour period by the same observer. In uteroplacental and umbilical arteries continuous wave measurements are highly accurate and are not inferior to the more expensive pulsed Duplex systems.