Diagnosis of pre‐eclampsia and assessment of severity through examination of the placenta with acoustic radiation force impulse elastography

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of placental shear wave velocity (SWV) measurement by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and to determine the relationship between the SWV and the severity of pre-eclampsia. METHODS: A prospective study was performed at a center in Turkey between August 2014 and March 2015. The study included consecutive pregnant women in the second or third trimester diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and healthy pregnant women without pre-eclampsia of similar ages. Patients with pre-eclampsia were divided into two groups (severe or mild disease) on the basis of revised American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists criteria. All patients underwent ARFI, and the SWV was measured at several placental locations. RESULTS: Overall, 86 women were enrolled (42 with pre-eclampsia, 44 controls). Minimum, maximum, and mean SWV values were significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia group than in the control group (P<0.001 for all). These values were also significantly higher among patients with severe pre-eclampsia than among patients with mild pre-eclampsia (P<0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: Measurement of the placental SWV with ARFI imaging is a useful additional method for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia and for determination of the disease severity.