ULTRASOUND SIGNS IN THREATENED-ABORTION AND THEIR PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 65  (4) , 471-475
Abstract
During the 1st and early 2nd trimesters of pregnancy in 244 consecutive patients with uterine bleeding, ultrasound studies were conducted to determine the cause of bleeding. In 165 of the patients the fetus was alive, and the outcome of pregnancy was successful in 143 (87%) despite the fact that ultrasound scanning revealed a total of 60 abnormalities. In the 22 patients whose pregnancy outcome was unfavorable, the number of abnormalities was significantly higher (P < 0.05). The most common ultrasound abnormalities were placenta covering the internal os, fetal growth delay, multiple gestation, and intrauterine hematoma. At ultrasound examination, the presence of .gtoreq. 1 abnormalities plus bleeding for 3 days or more significantly increased the risk to the pregnancy. When the duration of bleeding was < 3 days and the ultrasound examination was normal, the risk to the pregnancy was lower (7%) than that of patients who had bled for .gtoreq. 3 days and had at least 1 abnormality on ultrasound examination (24%) (P < 0.05).