Objective: To investigate the placenta perfusion in pre-eclampsia by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound and analysing the clinical outcome.

Method: 80 cases of normal and pre-eclampsia pregnant women from July 2007 to May 2008 in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital were studied. The control group of 36 cases, pre-eclampsia were divided into three groups: a total of 44 cases, mild pre-eclampsia group (9 cases), severe pre-eclampsia group (26 cases) and chronic hypertension with pre-eclampsia group (9 cases). The placental vascular index (VI), flow index (FI), blood vessels and blood flow index (VFI) by three-dimensional Doppler histogram and the umbilical blood flow systolic to diastolic (S/D) by color Doppler flow imaging were calculated and the gestational age after delivery, birth weight, placental weight after birth were recorded respectively.

Results: (1) VI, FI, VFI and umbilical blood flow S/D value: 6.3+/-2.9, 38.6+/-4.4, 2.7+/-1.3, 2.5+/-0.6 in normal group; 5.7+/-3.8, 36.3+/-7.2, 2.4+/-2.0, 2.4+/-0.3 in mild pre-eclampsia group; 3.0+/-2.4, 31.7+/-5.0, 1.1+/-1.0, 2.9+/-1.3 in severe pre-eclampsia group; 2.2+/-1.6, 26.1+/-4.4, 0.8+/-0.6, 3.1+/-1.6 in chronic hypertension with pre-eclampsia group. Placenta of normal group and mild preeclampsia group VI, FI, VFI were no significant difference (P>0.05), placental VI, FI, VFI of severe preeclampsia group and chronic hypertension with severe pre-eclampsia group were significantly lower than the normal group (P<0.01) and than mild pre-eclampsia group (P<0.05). The umbilical blood flows were not obvious difference among four groups (P>0.05); (2) Gestational age after birth, birth weight, low newborn weight rate and placental weight: (38.7+/-1.5) weeks, (3280+/-520) g, 3%, (568+/-141) g in normal group; (37.9+/-1.0) weeks, (2971+/-265) g, 0, (576+/-98) g in mild pre-eclampsia group; (33.2+/-2.6) weeks, (1820+/-737) g, 58%, (458+/-154) g in severe pre-eclampsia group; (32.6+/-2.6) weeks, (1497+/-533) g, 7/9, (396+/-141) g in chronic hypertension with pre-eclampsia group. The normal group and mild pre-eclampsia group in gestational age after birth, birth weight, low newborn weight rate and placental weight were not significant difference (P>0.05); severe pre-eclampsia and chronic hypertension with severe pre-eclampsia group in them were significantly lower than the normal group (P<0.01) and than mild pre-eclampsia group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: (1) Placental blood flow perfusion of the severe pre-eclampsia and pre-eclampsia with chronic hypertension of pregnancy decreased resulting in clinically lower placental weight, birth weight and gestational age at delivery, but there were no obvious differences in umbilical blood flow S/D values. (2) The investigation was helpful to clinical diagnosis in the placenta perfusion of pre-eclampsia by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound.