Doppler de las arterias uterinas y braquial en mujeres sanas y con preeclampsia.

Objective: To compare the Doppler ultrasound parameters of the uterine and brachial arteries, between healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with preeclampsia. Methods: 102 pregnant women were studied in the third trimester, group I 83 healthy women and group II 19 patients with severe preeclampsia. All of them underwent Doppler ultrasound of the uterine arteries, measuring the pulsatility index (PI) and determining the presence of proto-diastolic notch. The PI and the arterial diameter were measured in the brachial artery before and after the hyperemic stimulus. Comparisons between the groups were performed with Student's t-test for independent samples and Mann-Whitney U and the comparison within each group with Student's t-test for related samples. Results: Gestational age was 35 ± 3 and 35 ± 2 weeks for group I and II, respectively. The proto-diastolic notch was present in 6 of 19 patients in group II (p <0.001), the PI of the uterine arteries was 0.68 ± 0.1 and 0.93 ± 0.3 for group I and II respectively (p <0.006). In the brachial artery, the arterial diameter after the hyperemic stimulus was significantly higher in women in group I (3.7 ± 0.5 mm and 3.5 ± 0.6 mm, p <0.006). Conclusions: Preeclamptic women had higher PI of the uterine artery than the healthy ones; healthy women had greater arterial diameter after hyperemic stimulus than preeclamptic ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]