Doppler flow velocimetry in hypertension in pregnancy.

Early studies suggested that Doppler ultrasound held great promise as a noninvasive, repeatable, and simple method of predicting hypertension in pregnancy and identifying those hypertensive pregnancies at high risk of maternal and fetal complications. Further studies have tempered this early enthusiasm by revealing the multiplicity of factors that may influence the Doppler waveform pattern. This makes interpretation of changes in the FVW pattern difficult. Despite these difficulties, there is evidence to suggest that Doppler velocimetry may contribute to two aspects of the management of hypertensive pregnancies. First, as a noninvasive method of investigating the effect of pharmacologic agents on maternal, fetal, and placental circulations. Second, a number of studies support a useful role for Doppler ultrasound measurements in the assessment of fetal well being in hypertensive complications. Present knowledge suggests that the technique will not replace existing fetal monitoring tests or be capable of indicating the optimum time for delivery. It does however, appear to be a useful adjuvant in assessing the risk of perinatal complications, especially in hypertensive pregnancies presenting before 30 weeks' gestation.