Clinical Research
Combination of cervical elastographic parameters and cervical length for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in second trimester of pregnancy
Zhang Dongmei, Hou Li, Liu Yang, Zhou Qi, Ye Caiwei, Yang Yi, Lin Guo
Published 2021-01-25
Cite as Chin J Ultrasonogr, 2021, 30(1): 70-75. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn131148-20200807-00640
Abstract
ObjectiveTo evaluate the characteristics of cervical hardness and softness in the second trimester, and to explore the predictive value of the combination of cervical elastographic parameters and cervical length(CL) in spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB).
MethodsThe clinical data of 147 women with full-term birth(full-term birth group) and 24 women with sPTB(sPTB group) who received prenatal examination in Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were reviewed. Multiple parameters were measured between 16-28 gestational weeks by the transvaginal ultrasound E-cervix technique. CL, elasticity contrast index(ECI), hardness ratio(HR), mean strain at internal os(IOS), mean strain at external os(EOS), the ratio of IOS to EOS(IOS/EOS) were obtained.Elastographic parameters and CL were compared between the two groups. Furthmore, binary regression was established, while the area under ROC curve(AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive efficiency of elastographic parameters and CL in sPTB, both alone and in combination with other parameters.
ResultsThe elastographic parameters IOS and IOS/EOS in the sPTB group were higher than those in the full-term birth group, while HR and CL were lower than those in the full-term birth group (all P<0.05). There were no statistical differences of ECI and EOS between the two groups(bothP>0.05). The AUCs of predicting sPTB with single IOS, IOS/EOS were 0.684 and 0.625, higher than the AUCs of HR, CL. The combination of IOS/EOS and CL, IOS and CL showed higher AUCs than elastographic parameters alone, with the AUC 0.788 of IOS/EOS combined with CL. The sensitivity was 70.8%, and the specificity was 87.3% corresponding to the optimum cutoff value(IOS/EOS was 1.22, CL was 3.46 cm).
ConclusionsIn the second trimester, sPTB has a lower hardness cervix than that of full-term women, especially the internal os of cervix. The combination of IOS/EOS and CL tends to improve the ability of predicting sPTB in pregnant women.
Key words:
Ultrasonography; Spontaneous preterm birth; E-Cervix; Elastographic parameters; Prediction; Second trimester
Contributor Information
Zhang Dongmei
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Hou Li
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Liu Yang
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Zhou Qi
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Ye Caiwei
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Yang Yi
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
Lin Guo
Department of Ultrasound, the Affiliated Women′s and Children′s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China &
Chengdu Women′s and Children′s Central Hospital, Chengdu 611731, China
