Patterns of Normal Change in Fetal Cerebral Artery Doppler by Fetal Gender / 대한산부인과학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To establish the normal range of the fetal cerebral artery pulsatility index (PI) throughout pregnancy and to determine if there are any gender differences. METHODS: Doppler ultrasonographic examination was performed to measure the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) PI in 71 normal pregnancies between 25 and 39 weeks gestation. Gender determination was possible in 44 fetuses by either a postnatal examination or genetic amniocentesis. The gestational weeks were grouped into 4-week sections. Group I ranged from 28 to 31 gestational weeks. Group II and III ranged from 32 to 35 and from 36 to 39 weeks, respectively. RESULTS: The ACA PI of the male fetuses decreased with increasing gestational time (group I, II and III 1.79+/-0.35, 1.57+/-0.67 and 1.30+/-0.35; P<0.05). The ACA PI of the female fetuses also decreased significantly (group I, II and III 1.97+/-0.59, 1.68+/-0.41 and 1.33+/-0.21; P<0.05). The MCA PI of the male fetuses decreased (group I, II and III 2.02+/-0.58, 1.88+/-0.43 and 1.53+/-0.47; P<0.05). However, there was no significant decrease in the MCA PI of female fetuses (group I, II and III 2.14+/-0.60, 1.87+/-0.56 and 1.88+/-0.40; P=0.83). CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that female fetuses show a relatively constant middle cerebral artery PI regardless of the gestational time.