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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Early sonographic evaluation of the placenta in cases with IUGR: a pilot study
Adeline Walter1, Paul Böckenhoff1, Annegret Geipel1
1Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Purpose:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and value of measuring early placental echogenicity to predict fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Methods:
This is a single center, retrospective cohort study. Early ultrasound examination (6 + o to 8 + 6 weeks of gestation in singleton pregnancies) was used to measure placental dimensions and placental echogenicity. A ratio between placental echogenicity and myometrial echogenicity (PE/ME-ratio) was calculated for each patient. Study population was assigned to either the IUGR group or the control group based on clinical data.
Results:
184 eligible pregnancies were analysed. 49 patients were included in our study. Of those, 9 (18.37%) cases were affected by IUGR and 40 (81.63%) were controls. Measuring the placental echogenicity was feasible in all cases. IUGR neonates had a significant lower placental echogenicity (1.20 (± 0.24) vs. 1.64 (± 0.60), p = 0.033), but no significant differences in the other placental outcomes were observed.
Conclusion:
Our results showed that measuring placental echogenicity is feasible in the early first trimester and demonstrated a significantly lower placental echogenicity in fetuses with subsequent IUGR. Further prospective studies are needed to validate those results.
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