Placental elastography in second trimester preeclampsia prediction: A prospective study.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound

Background:

• Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication.
• Early prediction of preeclampsia is crucial for maternal and fetal health.
• Current diagnostic methods have limitations in early prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate placental shear wave elastography (SWE) for predicting preeclampsia.
• To assess the diagnostic potential of placental stiffness in early gestation.
• To determine the optimal cut-off value for predicting preeclampsia using SWE.

Main Methods:

• 230 pregnant women at 16-20 weeks gestation were enrolled.
• Placental shear modulus was measured using shear wave elastography (ElastPQ).
• Participants were monitored for preeclampsia development; elasticity values were compared between groups.

Main Results:

• Placental stiffness was significantly higher in women who developed preeclampsia (4.61 kPa) compared to normotensive women (2.51 kPa).
• A cut-off value of 2.9667 kPa demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.970).
• Sensitivity was 92% and specificity was 91.71% for predicting preeclampsia.

Conclusions:

• Quantitative measurement of placental stiffness using SWE at 16-20 weeks gestation is feasible.
• Increased placental stiffness is associated with preeclampsia development.
• Placental SWE shows significant potential as a non-invasive tool for early preeclampsia prediction.