Objective

Abstract-The objective of this study was to evaluate diastolic parameters and left ventricular geometry in gestational hypertension. Twenty-one consecutive pregnant women with gestational hypertension and 21 normotensive women matched for age and gestational age were enrolled in the third trimester of gestation. Echocardiographic and uterine color Doppler evaluations were performed. Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure, total vascular resistance (TVR), and uterine resistance index were higher in hypertensive women than in control subjects (PϽ0.01 M aternal hemodynamic adaptation begins in the first trimester of pregnancy. 1-3 Cardiac output increases and diastolic function is modified according to a rise in preload, 4,5 a decreased afterload, 4,5 an increased compliance of the conduit vessels, 4,5 ventricular remodeling, 4,5 and a modification of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. 4,5 Cardiac output is increased as the result of enhanced myocardial performance. 6 Echocardiographic evaluation provides important information on both systolic and diastolic cardiac function. In particular, the analysis of transmitral and pulmonary vein flow patterns allows an evaluation of the diastolic left ventricular filling, 5,7 whereas M-mode, 2D, and Doppler echocardiography are used to assess systolic and morphological left ventricular modifications. 6,8 -11 In the past, it has been reported that cardiac output during normal pregnancy increases until mid gestation. The initial increase appears to be related to an increase in heart rate followed by an increase in stroke volume. 1,2 Nevertheless, few data on cardiac diastolic function during physiological pregnancy have been reported, 5,12,13 and no data on diastolic function during gestational hypertension exists.Moreover, although left ventricular geometric pattern based on left ventricular mass and relative wall thickness of the left ventricle has gained interest in hypertensive disease, 14 -16 no data concerning left ventricular geometric pattern during physiological and pathological pregnancy are available.For these reasons, this study was designed to evaluate diastolic parameters and left ventricular geometric pattern in a group of women with gestational hypertension. These data were compared with data collected from normotensive pregnant women.

Objective To determine the sonographic findings that distinguish borderline ovarian tumors (BOT)

The findings of the present study suggest that the detection of hypervascularity in combination with other sonographic findings can identify suspicious uterine smooth muscle tumors that will require additional diagnostic evaluation before treatment.

No abstract