Novel ultrasound assessment of placental pathological function using superb microvascular imaging

Abstract

Ultrasound Doppler method of Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) can significantly visualize low-velocity blood flow using a unique algorithm. We scanned placenta antenatally using SMI and compared those findings with histological findings after delivery in cases with placental abnormalities. In normal, SMI expresses stem villous vessels connecting to the tertiary villous vessels which are sharply diminished, and expresses intervillous blood flow as “scatter.” Placental infarction was expressed as an anechoic area in SMI. Avascular villi was expressed as absent villous blood trees in a background scatter flow in SMI. In this report, we demonstrated typical SMI findings of the pathologic placenta as a pilot study.

Keywords:

• Placenta
• ultrasound
• Doppler
• pathology
• infarct placenta
• avascular villi
• chorangiosis

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Ms. Mayumi Nieda (Canon Medical Systems) for helpful adjustments of ultrasound equipment and valuable comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number [JP18K09240].