Early sonographic evaluation of the placenta in cases with IUGR: a pilot study

Purpose The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and value of measuring early placental echogenicity to predict fetal intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Methods This is a single center, retrospective cohort study. Early ultrasound examination (6 + o to 8 + 6 weeks of gestation in singleton pregnancies) was used to measure placental dimensions and placental echogenicity. A ratio between placental echogenicity and myometrial echogenicity (PE/ME-ratio) was calculated for each patient. Study population was assigned to either the IUGR group or the control group based on clinical data. Results 184 eligible pregnancies were analysed. 49 patients were included in our study. Of those, 9 (18.37%) cases were affected by IUGR and 40 (81.63%) were controls. Measuring the placental echogenicity was feasible in all cases. IUGR neonates had a significant lower placental echogenicity (1.20 (± 0.24) vs. 1.64 (± 0.60), p = 0.033), but no significant differences in the other placental outcomes were observed. Conclusion Our results showed that measuring placental echogenicity is feasible in the early first trimester and demonstrated a significantly lower placental echogenicity in fetuses with subsequent IUGR. Further prospective studies are needed to validate those results.