Placental abruption and placental hemorrhage: correlation of sonographic findings with fetal outcome.

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Abstract
Sixty-nine cases of placental abruption and placental hemorrhage detected with ultrasonography (US) were reviewed retrospectively to determine whether US findings correlate with fetal outcome. Four patients were lost to follow-up, and in the remaining 65 patients fetal outcome included demise in 12 cases (18%), termination of pregnancy in six (9%), premature delivery of a living infant in 15 (23%), term delivery of an infant who was small for gestational age in four (6%), and normal term delivery in 28 (43%). Fetal mortality correlated best with the estimated percentage of placental detachment, but was also significantly (P < .01) associated with the location (retroplacental) and size (> 60 ml) of hemorrhage. Premature labor was associated (P < .001) only with gestational age at the time of clinical presentation. No sonographic finding was identified as a risk factor for small-for-gestational-age infants. Sonographic findings of placental abruption correlate with fetal outcome, and this information may be useful for guiding obstetric management.