Correlation of Doppler Pulmonary Artery Parameters With Gestational Age in Normal Fetuses at 20–32 Weeks

• Published in: Journal of clinical ultrasound Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 1092 - 1098
• Main Authors: Zhou, Xiaofeng, Jiang, Yan, Zhang, Xiaolong, Xie, Dan, Zheng, Mingsheng, Ye, Nan, Shu, Na, Gao, Shuqiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2025; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Blood Flow Velocity; Correlation; Diameters; Doppler; Female; fetus; Fetuses; Gestational Age; Humans; Male; Parameters; Pregnancy; Pulmonary arteries; Pulmonary artery; Pulmonary Artery - diagnostic imaging; Pulmonary Artery - embryology; Reference Values; Regression models; Ultrasonography, Doppler - methods; Ultrasonography, Prenatal - methods; Velocity; pulmonary artery; Doppler; fetus
• ISSN: 0091-2751; 1097-0096; 1097-0096
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23977

ABSTRACT Objective To measure pulmonary artery (PA) diameters and Doppler values in normal fetuses and to analyze their trends and correlations with gestational age (GA). Methods We took PA ultrasound measurements of normal fetuses with GAs of 20–32 weeks, including the main pulmonary artery (MPA), right pulmonary artery (RPA), and left pulmonary artery (LPA) inner diameters and MPA Doppler parameters [acceleration time (AT), ejection time (ET), AT/ET ratio, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end‐diastolic velocity (EDV), pulsatility index (PI), and resistance index (RI)]. The subjects were divided into early (20–24 weeks), middle (24–28 weeks), and late (28–32 weeks) GA groups. Results In total, 336 fetuses with GAs of 21 + 3 weeks to 31 + 2 weeks were included (early, n = 161; middle, n = 105; late, n = 70). The PSV, EDV, AT, ET, and PA diameters correlated positively with the GA. The correlations of the PA diameters were the strongest, and a linear regression model was obtained: MPA diameter (cm) = (−0.286 + 0.005) × GA (days). Conclusions The MPA, PI, RI, and AT/ET ratios are relatively stable before the GA of 32 weeks. The MPA, LPA, and RPA diameters increase with the GA. Fetal main pulmonary artery diameter and Doppler measurements at gestational age of 20–32 weeks, including peak systolic velocity (PSV), end‐diastolic velocity (EDV), acceleration time (AT), and ejection time (ET), showed a positive correlation with gestational age, pulsatility index (PI), and resistance index (RI), and the AT/ET ratio is relatively stable.