DIGITAL IMAGING ANALYSIS OF THE PLACENTA

Abstract

Introduction: Recent studies indicate that placental and umbilical cord morphometry are the factors that may be associated with pregnancy complications, such as fetal growth restriction. Recently, placental and umbilical cord morphometry have been performed using digital image analysis. The aim of this study was to determine the morphometric parameters of placentas using digital image analysis.
Material and methods: The digital imaging analysis of twenty placentas and umbilical cord were performed using Image Analysis LAS V4.3 software.
Results: The length of the placentas was 191,77 mm ± 35,86 mm (mean ± standard deviation). The width of the placentas was 166,01 mm ± 19,01 mm. The placental surface area was 24495,13 mm2 ± 7038,86 mm2. The insertion of the umbilical cord to the placenta was central in 50 %, peripheral in 37,50 % and marginal in 12,5 % of analyzed placentas. The average distance of the umbilical cord insertion from the nearest placental margin was 38,89 mm ± 28,39 mm. The umbilical cord diameter at the insertion site was 21,16 mm± 5.69 mm. The diameter of the umbilical cord two centimeters from the insertion site was 12,36 mm ± 3,45 mm.
Conclusion: Digital image analysis enables obtaining the objective morphometric parameters of the placenta and umbilical cord. The obtained morphometric parameters of the placenta and umbilical cord for our population are comparable to results of previous studies and open further placental research directions for the development of the screening method.
Keywords: digital imaging, morphometric parameters, placenta, umbilical cord.