Evaluation of Cervical Elastography for Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Low‐Risk Women: A Prospective Study

• Published in: Journal of ultrasound in medicine 2020-04, Vol.39 (4), p.705-713
• Main Authors: Du, Liu, Zhang, Li‐He, Zheng, Qiao, Xie, Hong‐Ning, Gu, Yu‐Jun, Lin, Mei‐Fang, Wu, Li‐Hong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Case-Control Studies; cervix; Cervix Uteri - diagnostic imaging; Cervix Uteri - physiopathology; Elasticity; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - methods; elastography; Female; Humans; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimesters; Premature Birth - diagnosis; Premature Birth - physiopathology; Prospective Studies; spontaneous preterm birth; strain; transvaginal ultrasound; Ultrasonography, Prenatal - methods
• ISSN: 0278-4297; 1550-9613
• DOI: 10.1002/jum.15149

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether cervical elastographic parameters in addition to cervical length (CL) during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy would be predictive of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) among low‐risk women. Methods This work was a prospective nested case‐control study evaluating cervical elastographic parameters and CL in low‐risk women during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to calculate significant covariates for prediction of sPTB. The area under the curve of the prediction model was calculated by using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results There were 286 women (26 cases and 260 controls) included in the analysis. The parameters of cervical elasticity became softened and heterogeneous during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy in both women with and without sPTB. The differences in the mean strain value at the internal os of the cervix (IOS), ratio (strain ratio of the internal os to the external os) during the second trimester and the IOS during the third trimester between the groups had statistical significance (P