Abstract

Background: Doppler ultrasound velocimetry of fetal and uterine vessels is a well-established method of prenatal monitoring.

Objective: To establish the reference values of the Doppler indices of the fetal middle cerebral artery (MCA) and umbilical artery (UA) and of the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) in the Togolese context.

Materials and methods: Prospective, observational and analytical monocentric study conducted in the radiology and gyneco-obstetrics departments of the regional hospital of Atakpame (Togo) from April 1 to August 31, 2021. A total of 210 pregnant women between 21 to 39 weeks of gestation were included for the study.

Results: There was a weak positive linear correlation between the MCA peak systolic velocity and the gestational age (r=0.28; p<10^-5), ranging from 23.32 cm/s to 56.13 cm/s. MCA’s resistance index and pulsatility index did not show a statistically significant relationship with the gestational age. The peak systolic velocity of the UA ranged from 33.19 cm/s to 53.75 cm/s with an average of 45.9 cm /s. The UA’s resistance index and pulsatility index had shown a weak negative linear correlation with the gestational age (r = -0.21, p <10^-5 and r = -0.25, p <10^-5), ranged from 0.72 to 0.57 and from 1.36 to 0.81 respectively. The CPR had shown a statistically significant relationship between with gestational age (p <10^-5).

Conclusion: These results can be used as a reference in our hospitals while waiting for their validation in a multicentre study for a generalization of the results to the whole Togolese population.

Keywords: Doppler ultrasound, middle cerebral artery, umbilical artery, Doppler indices, Togo