[Morphometric indices of the altered feto-placental flow through the blood-placental barrier in pregnant women with hypertension]

Abstract

Objectives: In a pregnancy complicated with hypertension, blood flow analysis in the artery allows us to foresee threat to the fetus. Abnormal blood flow in umbilical artery makes it possible to discover vascular changes in the placenta which can endanger the life of the fetus. DESIGN IN THIS STUDY: I tried to find possible correlations between quality indices of blood flow in the foetal umbilical artery evaluated in Doppler USG in pregnancies complicated with hypertension and parameters of low molecular exchange.

Material and methods: 53 pregnancies complicated with hypertension were selected for evaluation. On basis of the result of umbilical artery flow, patients were divided into two groups: first group of 35 patients with normal values of foeto-placental flow, the second--18 patients with abnormal results of foeto-placental flow out of whom 2 were diagnosed with absence of end-diastolic blood flow. The number of epithelial plates, the number of epithelial plates in 1 mm2 and number of vessels in terminal villi were counted. The area, perimeter and diameters of terminal villi, length, thickness and area of thin epithelial plate, area of the blood vessel were estimated.

Results: The morphometric analysis indicates that the quality of the foeto-placental blood flow in pregnant women with hypertension results in parameters of the filtration area in terminal villi. In cases of complicated foeto-placental blood flow, thicker blood-placental barrier i.e. epithelial plate was found.

Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that the quality of feto-placental flow in pregnant women with hypertension results in parameters of the filtration area in terminal villi. In cases of complicated feto-placental blood flow a thicker blood-placental barrier i.e. epithelial plate was found.