Computerized ultrasonic image analysis for placental characterization in normal and hypertensive pregnancies

A technique has been developed for characterizing ultrasonic images of the human placenta by computerized image analysis. An ultrasonic image data base has been assembled from routine obstetric scans collected from 112 patients. A region within the placenta was manually identified in each image, and a series of parameters which mathematically describe the image texture in the region of interest was calculated. Our pilot study has shown that gestational age at scan, placental position and the presence or absence of hypertension can all be correlated with the mathematically defined textural descriptors of the ultrasonic placental image.