Reference Ranges of Maternal Ophthalmic Artery Doppler in Low-Risk Pregnancies

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Fetal Medicine
• Vascular Ultrasound

Background:

• Doppler ultrasound assesses fetal well-being by evaluating maternal and fetal circulation.
• Establishing normative data for maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler indices is crucial for accurate interpretation during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine reference ranges for maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler indices during the second and third trimesters of low-risk pregnancies.
• To provide a normative dataset for clinical use in obstetric Doppler assessments.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 358 low-risk pregnancies.
• Doppler ultrasound of the maternal ophthalmic artery to calculate pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and other indices.
• Polynomial regression analysis to establish reference intervals (5th, 50th, 95th percentiles) based on gestational age.

Main Results:

• Established reference intervals for maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler indices across gestational ages.
• Significant negative correlations found between gestational age and RI and PSV.
• Significant positive correlation observed between gestational age and the peak systolic velocity ratio (PR).

Conclusions:

• Provided essential reference intervals for maternal ophthalmic artery Doppler indices in low-risk pregnancies.
• These reference values can enhance the interpretation of Doppler findings.
• Potential utility in predicting and monitoring conditions like preeclampsia.