Ultrasonography.  2016 Jul;35(3):253-257. 10.14366/usg.16002.

Measurement of elasticity of normal placenta using the Virtual Touch quantification technique

• Wu S
• Nan R
• Li Y
• Cui X
• Liang X
• Zhao Y

• KMID: 2327631
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14366/usg.16002

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to measure the elasticity of normal placentas using the Virtual Touch quantification (VTQ) technique.
METHODS
This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee. Fifty randomly selected, healthy pregnant women in their second trimester and 50 randomly selected, healthy pregnant women in their third trimester with a single fetus were included, and their placentas underwent VTQ through shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements. The measurements were performed at different locations to sample different areas of the placenta. Measurements were performed 3-4 times in each location, the mean shear wave velocities were calculated without the highest and lowest values of measurements in each region, and the results were compared.
RESULTS
The SWV of the placenta was 0.983±0.260 m/sec, and the minimal and maximal speed was 0.63 m/sec and 1.84 m/sec, respectively. There was no significant difference between the second and third trimester of VTQ of the placenta in terms of SWV (0.978±0.255 m/sec vs. 0.987±0.266 m/sec, P=0.711). The maternal age between second and third trimester was 27.9±4.3 years and 29.2±4.4 years, respectively; there was no significant difference between them (P=0.159).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study show that the SWV of normal placenta tissue is 0.983±0.260 m/sec, it has little variation between the second and third trimesters, and the VTQ technique may potentially play an additional role in placenta evaluation.

Keyword

Placenta; Elasticity imaging techniques; Acoustic radiation force impulse; Virtual Touch quantification; Shear wave velocity; Ultrasonography

MeSH Terms

Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Elasticity*
Ethics Committees
Female
Fetus
Humans
Maternal Age
Placenta*
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Trimester, Second
Pregnancy Trimester, Third
Pregnant Women
Ultrasonography