Ultrasonographic assessment of the fetal heart in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy: Pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging prospective study.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the fetal heart using pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in cases of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).

METHODS

This prospective study was conducted at a single tertiary center and included 35 patients with ICP and 70 healthy pregnant women at 28-36 weeks of pregnancy. Among the patients with ICP, 26 had serum bile acid (SBA) levels less than 40 μmol/L and nine had SBA levels of 40 μmol/L or greater. Pulsed wave Doppler, M-mode, and TDI evaluations were performed on the patients to assess fetal cardiac function.

RESULTS

The ICP group exhibited significantly higher myocardial performance index (MPI) and isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), but similar isovolumetric contraction time (ICT). The tricuspid and mitral valve E, A, and E/A ratios were significantly reduced in the ICP group. The TDI parameters showed significantly reduced tricuspid and mitral valve E'/A' ratios in the ICP group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). The E/E' ratio was significantly increased in the ICP group (P < 0.001). According to the M-mode Doppler findings, tricuspid and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values were significantly decreased in the ICP group (P = 0.005 and P = 0.001, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, MPI and IRT were significantly higher in the severe ICP group.

CONCLUSION

ICP might induce changes in the fetal heart during the early systolic and diastolic phases. The detection of these early changes using M-mode and TDI during the antenatal period can provide valuable insights into the condition of the fetus.