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Absent End-Diastolic Velocity in the Umbilical Artery and Its Clinical Significance

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Doppler Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

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Abstract

Clinical evidence shows that the end-diagnostic component of an umbilical artery (UA) Doppler waveform is of crucial importance to prognostication in fetal growth restriction (FGR). Absent and reverse end-diastolic velocity (AREDV) in the UA is associated with high perinatal deaths and morbidities such as fetal asphyxia, malformations, and chromosomal abnormalities. This chapter offers an updated review of this important topic. Most infants with AREDV require intensive care. Furthermore, the risks of cerebral hemorrhage, anemia, and hypoglycemia are increased. Absent end-diastolic flow may improve, although often only transiently, and weeks or more may elapse before the fetus shows additional evidence of compromise. With progressive fetal compromise in early-onset FGR, most cases show deterioration of fetal Doppler sequentially from the UA, the middle cerebral artery (MCA), and then to the ductus venosus. However, many investigators dispute the existence of such a dominant sequence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMKC School of Medicine/Truman Medical Center, UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Dev Maulik & Tabitha Schrufer-Poland

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  1. Dev Maulik
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Correspondence to Dev Maulik .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Missouri–Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Dev Maulik

  2. Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK

    Christoph C. Lees

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Maulik, D., Schrufer-Poland, T. (2023). Absent End-Diastolic Velocity in the Umbilical Artery and Its Clinical Significance. In: Maulik, D., Lees, C.C. (eds) Doppler Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06189-9_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06189-9_25

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