Placental elasticity assessment by point shear wave elastography in pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction

Background Placental elasticity varies in different diseases. Our objective was to evaluate placental elasticity using point shear wave elastography (pSWE) in pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Methods A total of 66 pregnant women with IUGR and 81 healthy pregnant women were enrolled. Placental elasticity was measured using the transabdominal pSWE method. Ten measurements were made, and the mean was accepted as the mean placental elasticity value in each case. The results for IUGR pregnancies and controls were compared. Results The mean pSWE values were significantly higher in pregnancies with IUGR, which means that women with IUGR have stiffer placentas (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the pSWE values were significantly and positively correlated with Doppler indices and adverse perinatal outcomes. Conclusion The pregnancies with IUGR had stiffer placentas than the healthy controls. The utilization of pSWE for placental elasticity may be useful in the diagnosis and management of IUGR as a supplement to the existing ultrasonography methods.