Clinical significance of the doppler evaluation in ductus venosus, hepatic veins and pulmonary veins

Doppler evaluation of the fetal venous system at present improves assessment of fetal well-being in many conditions. Actually, analysis of ductus venosus waveforms seems to be the most important. It place role in detection of genetic abnormalities (in low pregnancies), prediction of outcomes growth-restricted fetuses, assessment of severity of heart failure due to congestive heart anomalies, fetal infections, hydrops fetalis. Hepatic veins are known rather as an additional parameter (for ductus venosus) in the severely compromised fetus. Doppler evaluation of pulmonary veins may be useful in prediction of fetal lung maturity and in detection some difficult circulatory anomalies.