Doppler assessment of the uterine circulation and the clinical behaviour of gestational trophoblastic tumours requiring chemotherapy

Abstract

The haemodynamics of the uterine arteries and myometrium were assessed using Doppler ultrasound in forty consecutive patients requiring treatment for invasive mole and choriocarcinoma. The investigations were performed prior to the commencement of chemotherapy and the subjects followed prospectively. The Doppler waveforms from the uterine arteries were analysed using the pulsatility index. It was found that patients with a pulsatility index of 1.1 or less were significantly more likely to develop drug resistance than those with a higher value (P < 0.04). There was no significant association between the pulsatility index and metastatic disease or uterine bleeding. Five out of eight patients who developed drug resistance could have avoided initial inadequate treatment if the Doppler findings were included in the scoring system for selecting chemotherapy for these tumours. It can be concluded that assessment of the uterine arteries using the pulsatility index prior to the treatment of patients with invasive mole and choriocarcinoma is of help in predicting those who will develop drug resistance.