Placental elasticity on patients with gestational diabetes: Single institution experience

Gestational diabetes is defined as glucose intolerance which is first recognized in pregnancy. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the cornerstone in diagnosing gestational diabetes. Placental elasticity evaluation is relatively new concept and is principally used for research purposes. We aimed to find any relation between placental elasticity evaluation and patients of gestational diabetes diagnosed by 75 g OGTT.

There were 91 patients took part in study, forming two groups as gestational diabetic patients (21 patients) and control group (70 patients). Elasticity of placenta was determined by acoustic radiation force impulse technology utilized by two blinded radiology specialists.

We were not able to find any correlation between 75 g OGTT values and placental elasticity measurements (p > .05). Also placental elasticity was not found to be significantly different in two groups (p > .05).

Placental elasticity measurement on the 24th-28th weeks does not seem to be a marker for identification of gestational diabetes.