Uterine artery doppler and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in pregnancies with fibroids

Abstract

Background: Uterine fibroids affect maternal and neonatal outcomes adversely. Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A (PAPP-A) and Uterine Artery Doppler (UAD) are used in the first and second trimesters to predict maternal and neonatal outcomes, including maternal preeclampsia, Small-for-Gestational-Age (SGA), and Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records over 8-months was carried out for 60-patients who presented to the antenatal outpatient clinic. Inclusion criteria were the identification of fibroids in the first-trimester scan, PAPP-A blood test performed at the first visit, and UAD recorded at 20-weeks scan. Demographic characteristics, clinical parameters, pregnancy-related complications, and obstetric outcomes were extracted for data collection. Data analysis was performed to determine correlations between UAD parameters and PAPP-A levels and fibroid measurements for different fibroid types, and to determine the effect of fibroid presence on actual and estimated fibroid weight. Findings: Of 60 included patients, the mean age of patients was 35.8 ± 4.8 years, and each pregnant woman had an average of 2.9 ± 1.7 fibroids, with the majority (73%) being large (> 5 cm). No complications, such as gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, abruption, and preterm birth were reported; only 6 (10%) of women were sonographically diagnosed with SGA babies, while 2 (3.3%) babies were LBW. UAD parameters and PAPP-A levels had no significant association with fibroid size (p > 0.05). Conclusion: There is a possible role of UAD and PAPP-A in determining pregnancy outcomes in the presence of fibroids, which needs to be explored by prospective studies.