Clinical study in diagnosis of placental implantation abnormality with transabdominal Doppler ultrasound

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the ultrasonographic charateristics and the diagnostic value in placental implantation abnormality (PIA) with transabdominal Doppler ultrasound, and improve the rate of diagnosis accuracy in the prenatal and postnatal of PIA with transabdominal Doppler ultrasound, for early diagnosis and treatment, to avoid hysterectomy caused by fatal bleeding.

Methods: There were 61 cases complicated with PIA by operation and pathologically confirmed in our hospital. 33 cases were prenatal PIA, and 28 cases were postnatal PIA. The sonographic characteristics of PIA were summarized, the sensitivity and false negative rate of transabdominal Doppler ultrasound were analyzed with the results of surgical and pathological diagnosis.

Results: In the images of prenatal PIA, the incidence of abundant blood flow signals in muscular layer of the placenta was the highest, which could reached 85.7%, followed by placenta “vortex” and placenta previa; placental remnants were major sonographic performance in postnatal PIA, the incidence rate was 100%, followed by abundant blood flow signals in muscular layer of the placenta and disappeared boundary between myometrium and placenta. 14 cases could be diagnosed as prenatal PIA accurately by transabdominal Doppler ultrasound, the sensitivity was 42.4%, and the false negative rate was 57.6%. 21 cases could be diagnosed as postnatal PIA accurately by transabdominal Doppler ultrasound, the sensitivity was 75.0%, and the false negative rate was 25.0%.

Conclusions: The specificity was low in prenatal PIA by transabdominal Doppler ultrasound, but the false negative rate was high. If necessary, the diagnostic accuracy could be improved combined with MRI. The specificity was much higher in postnatal PIA, and the false negative rate was low. The ultrasonography of PIA has some certain characteristics, we should strengthen the consciousness of the diagnosis in PIA, especially in the prenatal PIA, and improve the auxiliary diagnosis.