Role of uterine artery Doppler investigation in pregnant women with chronic hypertension

To evaluate the role of uterine artery Doppler investigation in predicting perinatal outcome of patients with chronic hypertension.Uterine artery velocimetry was investigated at 24 weeks gestation in 78 chronic hypertensive pregnant women by means of color Doppler. The resistance index (RI) and the presence of a diastolic notch were recorded and related to the development of superimposed preeclampsia (SPE), pregnancy aggravated hypertension (PAH). and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).There were more pregnancy complications in the 25 patients with abnormal RI, compared with the 53 women with normal RI (SPE 12% vs. 0%, PAH 36% vs. 7% and IUGR 52% vs. 2%; P0.01), and more in women with a bilateral diastolic notch compared with those without (SPE 23% vs. 0, PAH 54% vs. 4%, IUGR 85% vs. 2%; P0.0001), while no differences were detected in those with only a unilateral notch, except for PAH (27% vs. 4%; P0.01).Uterine artery Doppler velocimetry identifies a subgroup of chronic hypertensive patients with a high frequency of pregnancy complications.