Internal iliac and uterine arteries Doppler ultrasound in the assessment of normotensive and chronic hypertensive pregnant women

The objective of this work was to compare Doppler flows pulsatility index (PI) and resistance indexes (RI) of uterine and internal iliac arteries during pregnancy in low risk women and in those with stage-1 essential hypertension. From January 2010 and December 2012, a longitudinal and prospective study was carried out in 103 singleton uneventful pregnancies (72 low-risk pregnancies and 31 with stage 1 essential hypertension)at the 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) trimesters. Multiple linear regression models, fitted using generalized least squares and whose errors were allowed to be correlated and/or have unequal variances, were employed; a model for the relative differences of both arteries impedance was utilized. In both groups, uterine artery PI and RI exhibited a gestational age related decreasing trend whereas internal iliac artery PI and RI increased. The model testing the hemodynamic adaptation in women with and without hypertension showed similar trend. Irrespective of blood pressure conditions, the internal iliac artery resistance pattern contrasts with the capacitance pattern of its immediate pelvic division, suggesting a pregnancy-related regulatory mechanism in the pelvic circulation.