[EARLY DETECTION OF PREECLAMPSIA]

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Diagnostic Imaging in Pregnancy

Background:

• Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe pregnancy complication associated with significant maternal and neonatal mortality.
• Accurate risk assessment in early pregnancy is crucial for timely intervention and improved antenatal care.
• Identifying predictive markers for PE can optimize management strategies and reduce adverse outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if early pregnancy ultrasound markers can predict the risk of developing preeclampsia.
• To identify pregnant women at higher risk for preeclampsia for targeted antenatal care.
• To evaluate the prognostic importance of Doppler ultrasound indices in early gestation.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 205 pregnant women undergoing screening at 11-13 weeks of gestation.
• Data collection included questionnaires and transabdominal Doppler ultrasound of the uterine artery.
• Pulsatility index (Pi) and resistance index (Ri) were measured and converted to multiples of the median (MoM).

Main Results:

• Nine out of 205 women with high Pi values at 12-13 weeks gestation subsequently developed preeclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension.
• Elevated Pi values demonstrated a correlation with the development of PE/PIH.
• Resistance index (Ri) values showed no significant importance in forecasting preeclampsia development.

Conclusions:

• Measurement of the uterine artery pulsatility index (Pi) at 12-13 weeks gestation is a valuable prognostic marker for preeclampsia.
• The presence of diastolic incisures in Doppler waveforms also holds prognostic importance for PE.
• Doppler ultrasound indices, particularly Pi, can aid in early risk stratification for preeclampsia.