Ultrasonographic assessment of the fetal heart in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: Pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging prospective study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the fetal heart using pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in cases of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at a single tertiary center and included 35 patients with ICP and 70 healthy pregnant women at 28-36 weeks of pregnancy. Among the patients with ICP, 26 had serum bile acid (SBA) levels less than 40 µmol/L and nine had SBA levels of 40 µmol/L or greater. Pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and TDI evaluations were performed on the patients to assess fetal cardiac function. RESULTS: The ICP group exhibited significantly higher myocardial performance index (MPI) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), but similar isovolumetric contraction time (ICT). The tricuspid and mitral valve E, A, and E/A ratios were significantly reduced in the ICP group. The TDI parameters showed significantly reduced tricuspid and mitral valve E'/A' ratios in the ICP group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The E/E' ratio was significantly increased in the ICP group (P < 0.001). According to the M-mode Doppler findings, tricuspid and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values were significantly decreased in the ICP group (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, MPI and IRT were significantly higher in the severe ICP group. CONCLUSION: ICP might induce changes in the fetal heart during the early systolic and diastolic phases. The detection of these early changes using M-mode and TDI during the antenatal period can provide valuable insights into the condition of the fetus.