1. The role of maternal & fetal doppler in pre-eclampsia
Johanes C Mose Pregnancy Hypertens . 2014 Jul;4(3):242. doi: 10.1016/j.preghy.2014.04.010.
Pre-eclampsia is associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia and/or by fetal growth restriction are reported to have inadequate maternal vascular responses to placentation. This defective vascular response was due to the failure of second wave of endovascular trophoblast migration leading to both a reduced amount and depth of trophoblast invasion of myometrium followed by the development of placental hypoxia and ischemia that can be measured biophysically by means of Doppler Ultrasound. The role of Doppler in the screening and management of preeclampsia would be reviewed in here focusing on uterine artery, umbilicalartery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and ductus venosus (DV) waveforms. The commonly used flow velocity waveform (FVW) spectrum is used namely resistance index (RI), systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D) or pulsatility index (Pl). The presence or persistence of an early diastolic notch of uterine artery over 24 weeks of pregnancy is predictive of subsequent preeclampsia and or IUGR later on. Umbilical artery Pl falls with gestational age, although mean Pl is relatively stable after 30 weeks gestation. While elevated indices are predictive of adverse outcome, absent or reversed end-diastolic velocities (AREDV) are of particular significance for growth restriction. Mean MCA Pl increases to approximately 28weeks gestation and then falls to term. Progressive hypoxemia results in a reduction in MCA Pl and therefore values 5th centile are regarded as abnormal. The ratio of UA/MCA Pl has been widely used as an index of cerebral redistribution. The 9 51h centile for pulsatility index for vein (PIV) of ductus venosus FVW falls from 0.9 at 20 weeks to 0.7 at term, with values above this being regarded as abnormal. The absence or reversal of atrial systolic forward flow of DV FVW are of particular clinical significance. By using Doppler in the early detection of preeclampsia and its fetal complication namely growth restriction we can arrange the management decisions and monitoring strategy for preeclampsia.
2. Failure of two subsequent renal grafts by anti-GBM glomerulonephritis in Alport's syndrome: case report and review of the literature
M Depierreux, P Kinnaert, L De Pauw, J P Grünfeld, P Vereerstraeten, L H Noël, C Toussaint, M Goldman Transpl Int . 1990 Jul;3(2):82-5. doi: 10.1007/BF00336209.
We describe a patient with Alport's syndrome who developed severe crescentic glomerulonephritis after each of two successive transplantations, leading to accelerated graft failure on both occasions. This complication occurred in the 7th postoperative month for the first transplant and in the immediate postoperative period for the second. Immunopathological studies of the second transplant demonstrated that the glomerular lesions were mediated by antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies displaying the same pattern of reactivity as the MCA-Pl monoclonal antibody directed against the Good-pasture antigen. This observation indicates that the anti-GBM immunization induced by renal transplantation in some patients with Alport's syndrome may be responsible for recurrent graft failure.
3. Blood flow changes in dichorionic twins with growth discordance
Grzegorz Bręborowicz, Anna Dera, Mariola Ropacka-Lesiak Twin Res Hum Genet . 2012 Dec;15(6):781-7. doi: 10.1017/thg.2012.51.
Aim:The study evaluated the applicability of Doppler ultrasonography in predicting the course of pregnancy and neonatal outcome in dichorionic pregnancy complicated by growth discordance.Methods:Doppler examination of the umbilical artery (UA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) was performed in 106 twins. Abnormal values of the UA pulsatility index (PI) were considered to be above the 95th percentile and below 5th percentile for the MCA PI for gestational week. The difference of UA PI ~0.5 in twin pairs was considered abnormal. Doppler results were compared with selected parameters that characterize the course of pregnancy and fetal outcome.Results:Abnormal UA PI as well as the intertwine PI difference of 0.5 and more correlated significantly with lower gestational age at delivery, intertwine growth discordance of 35% or more, lower birth weight, and abnormal fetal outcome. The abnormal cerebra-umbilical(C/U) ratio correlated statistically with lower birth weight, abnormal fetal outcome, and an increased risk of premature delivery. There were no statistically significant differences in the majority of parameters that characterize the neonatal outcome between the groups with normal and abnormal MCA Pl.Conclusion:The intertwine UA PI difference ~0.5 had the highest predictive value in the assessment of adverse fetal outcome and risk for small for gestational age (SGA). Relatively poor sensitivity was noted with regard to the abnormal values of UA PI and C/U ratio. The worse correlation was found in case of MCA Pl.
