Purpose
To asses the occurrence of discrepancies between the Doppler waveforms of the left and right umbilical arteries in their paravesical part in fetuses with absent or reversed end‐diastolic flow in the free‐floating umbilical cord.
Methods
This prospective observational study included pregnant women with fetal growth restriction or twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome. Umbilical arterial Doppler waveforms were obtained from both umbilical arteries in their intra‐abdominal paravesical part. Doppler findings were recorded as present end‐diastolic flow (PEDF)/absent end‐diastolic flow (AEDF); AEDF/AEDF; AEDF/reversed end‐diastolic flow (REDF); or REDF/REDF pattern.
Results
There were 49 fetuses with AEDF or REDF at the free‐floating umbilical cord. Of these, 20 (40.8%) had a discrepancy in Doppler waveforms between the two umbilical arteries, with 14 (28.6%) showing PEDF/AEDF, 17 (34.7%) AEDF/AEDF, 6 (12.2%) AEDF/REDF, and 12 (24.5%) REDF/REDF pattern.
Conclusion
Doppler waveforms showed discrepancies between the two umbilical arteries in 40.8% of pregnant women with AEDF or REDF in the free‐floating umbilical cord. The presence of end‐diastolic flow in one umbilical artery cannot exclude the possibility of AEDF in the other.