Ductus Venosus

The ductus venosus pulsed Doppler waveform has been shown to be abnormal in fetuses with Down syndrome and other chromosomal defects who are examined during the first-trimester of pregnancy.

This is the ductus venosus that has been isolated because the color Doppler velocity setting is higher than the venous blood flow in the umbilical vein or hepatic veins. Because the ductus venosus flow is a higher velocity than the surrounding venous structures, adjusting the velocity to higher levels isolates this vessel, thus making it easier to identify.

 

This illustrates three types of ductus venosus waveforms. The first panel on the left is normal in which atrial systole does not interrupt flow during atrial systole. The red bar illustrates the peak of the atrial systolic waveform. The second panel demonstrates absent flow during atrial systole which is abnormal. The red bar demonstrates the peak waveform. The panel on the right illustrates reversal of flow during atrial systole in which it extends above the baseline. This is the most severe waveform. The red bar illustrates the peak of the waveform.

Medical Literature

1. Nicolaides KH, Wegrzyn P.
[Sonographic features of chromosomal defects at 11(+0) to 13(+6) weeks of gestation]
Ginekol Pol. 2005 Jun;76(6):423-30. Review. Polish.

 2. Borrell A, Gonce A, Martinez JM, Borobio V, Fortuny A, Coll O, Cuckle H.
First-trimester screening for Down syndrome with ductus venosus Doppler studies in addition to nuchal translucency and serum markers.
Prenat Diagn. 2005 Oct;25(10):901-5.

 3. Prefumo F, Sethna F, Sairam S, Bhide A, Thilaganathan B.
First-trimester ductus venosus, nasal bones, and Down syndrome in a high-risk population.
Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Jun;105(6):1348-54.

 4. Krampl E.
[Screening of chromosome anomalies during the first trimester]
Gynakol Geburtshilfliche Rundsch. 2005 Apr;45(2):86-92. German.

 5. Nicolaides KH, Spencer K, Avgidou K, Faiola S, Falcon O.
Multicenter study of first-trimester screening for trisomy 21 in 75 821 pregnancies: results and estimation of the potential impact of individual risk-orientated two-stage first-trimester screening.
Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2005 Mar;25(3):221-6

 6. Kelekci S, Yazicioglu HF, Oguz S, Inan I, Yilmaz B, Sonmez S.
Nasal bone measurement during the 1st trimester: is it useful?
Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2004;58(2):91-5. Epub 2004 May 12.

7. Malone FD, D'Alton ME; Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
First-trimester sonographic screening for Down syndrome.
Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Nov;102(5 Pt 1):1066-79. Review.

8. Borrell A, Martinez JM, Seres A, Borobio V, Cararach V, Fortuny A.
Ductus venosus assessment at the time of nuchal translucency measurement in the detection of fetal aneuploidy.
Prenat Diagn. 2003 Nov;23(11):921-6.