DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF UTERINE ARTERY RESISTANCE INDEX IN THE PREDICTION OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION IN PREECLAMPSIA

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) results from placental insufficiency. Preeclampsia is one of the major risk factors responsible for placental insufficiency. Early identification of the IUGR helps in reducing perinatal morbidity and mortality. Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis in the uterine arteries has proved to be a useful method for evaluation of uteroplacental insufficiencyand hence prediction of IUGR. OBJECTIVES: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of uterine artery Resistance Index (RI) in the prediction of IUGR in preeclampsia taking neonatal weight at birth as gold standard. METHODS: A Cross sectional study was conducted at Radiology Department, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar over a period of 6 months (17 th January 2019 to 16 th June 2019). 281 patients diagnosed with preeclampsia underwent Doppler ultrasound to calculate Uterine Artery RI . Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive value and Diagnostic Accuracy of the Uterine Artery RI in the prediction of IUGR was calculated. RESULTS: 281 pre-eclamptic patients underwent doppler ultrasound for determination of Uterine Artery RI in order to predict IUGR. Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive value, Negative predictive value of the Uterine Artery RI in the prediction of IUGR was found to be 78.99%, 89.51%, 87.90%, 81.53% respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of Uterine Artery RI taking birth weight as gold standard was found to be 84.34%. CONCLUSION: Uterine Artery RI determination can help in detection of IUGR in pre-eclamptic patients and hence timely intervention can be made possible. KEY WORDS: Doppler ultrasound, intrauterine growth restriction, placental insufficiency, uterine artery resistance