Application of Color Doppler Ultrasound Combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Placenta Accreta.

In order to improve the diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasonography in placenta accreta and make the diagnosis more accurate, a method to detect placenta accreta by combining color Doppler ultrasonography and magnetic resonance is proposed. The patients with placenta accreta were selected for color Doppler ultrasonography and MRI examination. Kappa test was used to analyze the consistency between the results of ultrasound and MRI examination alone and combined diagnosis and pathological examination results, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was drawn. Price compliance, sensitivity, specificity, good estimate rate, negative bid success rate, and Youden index were chosen as the basis for measuring the value of our tests. The results showed that the Kappa combined test rate was 0.609, the equivalent efficiency was 80.90%, and the correlation was good; ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of articular placenta accreta were 91.75% and 89.26%. The sensitivity, uniqueness, good estimate, negative predictive value, and Youden index of color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging>magnetic resonance imaging>color Doppler ultrasound in our laboratory were compared, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). The experimental results show that color Doppler ultrasound and MRI are effective in the diagnosis of placenta accreta, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it has been improved in the diagnosis of placenta accreta, is helpful for the diagnosis of placenta accreta, and is suitable for popularization and use.

1. Introduction

Placenta accreta is a rare obstetric critical illness due to hypoplasia or absence of the decidua of the uterus, and the placental villi invade the uterine serosal layer and even penetrate the serosal layer and involve surrounding organs. In patients with placenta accreta, the placenta is partially stripped, and the subplacental blood sinus is open for a long time. It is easy to cause severe bleeding and urinary system damage that are difficult to control during the operation, which seriously endangers the life of the mother. Therefore, the correct diagnosis of placenta accreta in the early prenatal period and the determination of the type of placenta accreta are very important for the selection of treatment methods and the prevention and control of intraoperative bleeding [1]. Color Doppler ultrasound is easy to operate, and it not only has the advantages of traditional two-dimensional ultrasound structural images but also provides rich hemodynamic information for the diagnostic staff, as shown in Figure 1. However, the diagnosis results are greatly influenced by the operating factors and diagnosis experience of the diagnosing personnel. In addition, in patients with placenta accreta, if the abdominal fat is thicker, the fat is produced in the intestinal lumen, which may adversely affect the diagnosis and distort the diagnosis. Magnetic resonance imaging is a medical technique that was only used in medicine in the 1980s. It uses static and radio frequency magnetic fields to acquire image data of human tissue. HD images without using different materials can be seen in [2]. Although magnetic resonance imaging has high spatial resolution, it is easily affected by the specific structure of the uterus in the diagnosis of placenta accreta, and misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis are inevitable. Since color Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance have their own advantages and disadvantages, the combined application of the two diagnostic methods can become an important method to improve the diagnostic accuracy and avoid unnecessary hysterectomy. This article analyzes the effect of combined diagnosis [3].

Figure 1

Color Doppler ultrasound.

2. Literature Review

Shainker et al. showed that placenta accreta is an obstetric complication in which placental tissue invades the myometrium due to a variety of reasons, and while placenta accreta penetrates the serosa and involves parametrial tissues, it can lead to hemorrhage, miscarriage, damage to pelvic organs, and even death in severe cases, endangering the safety of patients [4]. Xu et al. showed that for the diagnosis of placenta accreta, magnetic resonance imaging has a high evaluation value, especially for preoperative risk assessment. There are relatively specific indicators of preestimated bleeding, which can well help clinicians make decisions [5]. Apgm et al.'s study showed that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination can show signs such as myometrial thinning or discontinuity, placental type, and abnormal blood vessels in the placenta. Clinically, it can be determined according to the type of placental bulge and the accumulation of blood vessels in the serosal layer of the uterus. Signs to differentiate between penetrating and nonpenetrating placenta accreta have high clinical application value [6]. Hong et al. showed that MRI has high resolution, has simple operation, is not easily affected by other factors, and can display placental structure well. Ultrasound diagnosis of placenta accreta, although simple and low cost, is easily affected by the patient's body size and bladder filling degree, and its accuracy and sensitivity are not high [7]. Horng et al. combined the advantages and disadvantages of color Doppler ultrasound and MRI, and the combined results were identified and demonstrated that the application of color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging in clinical trials of placenta accreta can improve sensitivity and specificity of prenatal testing. Fewer diagnoses and invalid diagnoses can be seen in [8]. Bao et al. showed that placenta accreta is caused by the invasion of placental villi into the myometrium caused by traumatic defects of the endometrium and primary decidual dysplasia and has a high incidence. The incidence of placenta accreta is acute and very dangerous. During childbirth, the placenta is difficult to be stripped, resulting in intrapartum and postpartum hemorrhage, secondary infection, and uterine rupture, which seriously threatens the safety of mothers and fetuses [9]. Experiments have shown that color Doppler ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) imaging are currently used for prenatal screening for placenta accreta. Among them, AFP is not specific because of its many influencing factors and can only be used as a screening method, while the clinical reports of US and MRI diagnosis of placenta accreta are mostly used alone [10]. Zhi et al. stated that the current prenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta mainly relies on two-dimensional color ultrasound, three-dimensional ultrasound Doppler ultrasound, three-dimensional color power Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other methods. Among them, two-dimensional color ultrasound is a widely used method in clinical practice, but it cannot display the blood flow of the posterior wall of the placenta and requires high medical skills for the operator, so the misdiagnosis is common [11]. Wei et al. believed that three-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound can clearly display the blood flow of the posterior placenta, with simple operation and high resolution, which greatly improves the diagnostic coincidence rate [12]. Hussein et al. stated that MRI also has the advantages of noninvasiveness, repeatability, and no ionizing radiation, but the price is relatively expensive and the imaging speed is slow and sensitive [13].

3. Research Methods

3.1. General Information

A total of 89 patients with suspected placenta accreta were selected from January 2019 to January 2020 in A Central Hospital and B People's Hospital. BMI was 21.12 ± 1.45 kg/m2, including 20 primiparas, 69 multiparous women, gestation times 3.40 ± 2.40, parity times 2.30 ± 2.00, 26 cases of previous abortion, uterine cavity surgery history of 21 cases, and 28 cases of cesarean section history [14]. Among them, there were 25 patients with placenta accreta. This study has been approved by the hospital ethics committee.

3.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

(1) Inclusion criteria are as follows: ① The patient has a history of abortion, placenta previa, a history of uterine cavity operation, and a history of cesarean section and other high-risk factors; ② the routine ultrasound examination after 28 weeks before delivery indicates placenta previa, that is, the lower edge of the placenta is less than 20 mm from the internal cervical os; ③ the patients were informed and signed the informed consent. (2) Exclusion criteria are as follows: ① pregnancy complicated with pelvic mass; ② the existence of other underlying diseases such as heart, liver, and kidney dysfunction; ③ the existence of malignant tumor; and ④ placental stagnation caused by congenital malformation of the uterus

3.3. Instruments and Equipment

The VolusionE8 three-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic apparatus (GE, USA) and the Siemens Symphony 1.5T superconducting MRI scanner (Siemens, Germany) were used, and the apparatus was equipped with a workstation for image postprocessing [15].

3.4. Inspection Method

3.4.1. Color Doppler Ultrasonography

The VolusionE8 3D color Doppler ultrasound diagnostic instrument was used with built-in virtual computer-aided analysis software, and the 4Dview software was used for 3D reconstruction [16]. The patient has a proper bladder, and the patient is in a supine or lateral position. The probe is placed on the patient's abdominal wall, perpendicular to the abdomen, for horizontal, vertical, and dynamic detection. The direction of the probe is constantly changed during observation, and the body position is changed if necessary. Pay attention to observe the routine fetal and amniotic fluid indicators, the space area of the posterior wall of the placenta, the relationship between the edge of the placenta and the cervical foramen, and the blood flow in the placenta. Three-dimensional image observation of blood vessels at the placenta implantation site was performed to analyze the location of suspicious placental lesions and the three-dimensional structure of blood supply around them. All patient examination images were jointly completed by 2 deputy chief physicians of obstetrics [17].

3.4.2. MRI Examination

Image postprocessing was performed using a Siemens Symphony 1.5T superconducting MRI scanner and a LEONARDO workstation equipped with the instrument. The patient had a full bladder, and the patient was placed in the supine position. Temporary scan mode is Fast Low Angle Shot (FLASH)/T1WI, while T2WI is Half-Fourier Fast Acquire One Shot. Echo Sequence (HASTE) Transient Time (TR) is 1000 ms, Echo Sequence (TE) is 74 ms, transverse slice thickness is 5 mm, slice spacing is 2.4 mm, excitation times (NEX) are 1 second, the field of view (FOV) is 25 cm, the matrix is 164 × 256, the fast spin echo (TSE) series is used in the sagittal position, the slice thickness is 6 mm, the slice spacing is 1.8 mm, the NEX times are 2, and the matrix is 240 × 320. At the same time, fat suppression and flow compensation techniques are used, and the contrast agent used in some stillborn or postpartum patients is the nonspecific extracellular space contrast agent gadolinium-diethylenepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) cubital vein injection [18]. The scanning range is from the lower border of the pubic symphysis to about 2 cm above the uterine fundus. All patient examination images were jointly completed by 2 senior radiologists.

3.5. Observation Indicators

Select value coincidence, sensitivity, particularity, positive estimate, negative estimate, and Youden index according to the measured values of our test rating, sensitivity (%) = really good/(true good + false false)) × 100%; specificity (%) = true negatives/(true negatives + false positives) × 100%; positive predictive value (%) = true positives/(true positives + false positives) × 100%; negative predictive value (%) = true false/(false true + false false) × 100%; Youden index = sensitive + special − 1.

3.6. Statistical Methods

The data of this study were analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software. Data expressed as a percentage (%) was calculated using the χ2 test. The Kappa coefficient is used to measure the similarity of two measurement models. The diagnostic value of the two methods for placenta accreta was determined by recipient characteristics and ROC curves. The statistical results show that the difference is significant when P < 0.05 [19].

4. Result Analysis

4.1. Analysis of Color Doppler Ultrasonography in Patients with Placenta Accreta

Color Doppler ultrasonography showed that patients with penetrating placenta accreta had the following: abundant blood vessels between the uterine serosa layer and the bladder wall, interruption of the continuity between the uterine serosa layer and the bladder, and local mass of the placenta protruding into the bladder and other manifestations.

4.2. Analysis of MRI Manifestations in Patients with Placenta Accreta

MRI shows that patients with placenta accreta have the following: the placenta gathers and shows a hump-like change; the placenta signal is significantly uneven; the placenta is irregular in the internal cervical os; it has posterior wall, with unclear demarcation and other manifestations [20].

4.3. Analysis of the Value of the Two Inspection Methods Alone and in Combination in the Diagnosis of Placenta Accreta

The 89 patients with suspected placenta accreta were diagnosed as 57 by the “gold standard” such as clinical and pathological diagnosis, among which 42 were diagnosed as positive by ultrasound. κ = 0.410, the coincidence rate was 71.91%, and the consistency of the two diagnostic methods was acceptable [21]. Among the 57 confirmed patients, 36 patients were positive by MRI. The Kappa coefficient test was κ = 0.376 for the two diagnostic methods of MRI and the “gold standard,” and the coincidence rate was 68.91%. The consistency of the two diagnostic methods was general. Among the 57 confirmed patients, 44 patients were positive in the joint examination. The Kappa coefficient method for the joint diagnosis and the “gold standard” diagnosis method had a κ = 0.609, and the coincidence rate was 80.90%. The two diagnostic methods had good consistency. ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of ultrasonography in detecting placenta accreta was 86.49%, the specificity was 82.16%, the positive estimate was 75.19%, and the negative estimate was 85.31%; the sensitivity of MRI in the diagnosis of placental implantation was 79.43%. The placenta accreta rate was 79.43%, the primary sex was 79.43%, the specificity was 75.21%, the positive estimate rate was 64.12%, and the negative estimate rate was 75.21%; the sensitivity of the two placenta accreta samples was 91.75%., the odds are 89.26%, the positive odds are 68.59%, and the odds are 89.67% (see Tables 1–3 and Figure 2).

Table 1

Value analysis of color Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of placenta accreta.

3D ultrasound	Gold standard		Coincidence rate (%)	Kappa value
	Positive	Negative
Positive	42	10	71.91	0.410
Negative	15	22

Table 2

Analysis of the value of MRI in the diagnosis of placenta accreta.

MRI diagnosis	Gold standard		Coincidence rate (%)	Kappa value
	Positive	Negative
Positive	36	7	68.91	0.376
Negative	21	25

Table 3

Value analysis of the combined diagnosis of placenta accreta by the two methods.

Joint diagnosis	Gold standard		Coincidence rate (%)	Kappa value
	Positive	Negative
Positive	44	4	80.90	0.609
Negative	13	28

Figure 2

ROC curve analysis of the value of the two methods alone and combined in the diagnosis of placenta accreta (%).

4.4. Sequence of Diagnostic Coincidence Rate and Analysis of Diagnostic Energy Efficiency

The detection rate of color Doppler ultrasound, magnetic resonance, and color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance on placental puncture was determined as follows: color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance>magnetic resonance>color Doppler, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05) (see Table 4). In terms of performance evaluation, the sensitivity, specificity, positive estimate, negative estimate, and Youden index of each test were compared: color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging>magnetic resonance imaging>color Doppler ultrasound, and the contrast value is P < 0.05 (see Table 5).

Table 4

Comparison of the coincidence rates of the three diagnostic scheme.

Diagnostic program	Placenta piercing
Color Doppler ultrasound	15 (78.95)
Magnetic resonance imaging	17 (89.47)
Color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging	19 (100.00)

Table 5

Comparison of diagnostic efficacy of three diagnostic schemes.

Diagnostic program	N	Sensitivity (%)	Specificity (%)	Positive predictive value (%)	Negative predictive value (%)	Youden index
Color Doppler ultrasound	64	78.13	81.25	80.65	78.79	0.59
Magnetic resonance imaging	64	93.75	87.50	88.24	93.33	0.81
Color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging	64	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	1.00
χ 2		7.905	8.847	9.011	7.905	9.250
P		0.005	0.001	0.000	0.005	0.000

4.5. Discussion

In this study, the hypoechoic zone between the posterior wall of the lower placenta and the myometrium disappeared in patients with placenta accreta under two-dimensional ultrasonography, and there was no obvious protrusion of the uterus and bladder. The placenta showed abundant blood flow and obvious blood sinuses. There is a high-speed pulsed arterial blood flow with venous blood flow in the placental space. Three-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound in vascular transparency mode showed that the distribution of blood vessels between the uterine serosa and the bladder wall in patients with placenta accreta was significantly increased, and the local mass of the placenta protruded toward the bladder. In the images under 3D color power Doppler ultrasound, the distribution of blood vessels in the placenta of patients with placenta accreta was significantly increased, and it was difficult to distinguish the blood vessels between the villi and the intervilli. MRI images showed irregular mass shadows in the uterine cavity and strip-shaped signal shadows in the anterior abdomen, showing postoperative changes. The placenta is located in the uterine fundus, showing an arc-shaped soft tissue signal shadow, protruding into the myometrium of the uterine wall on the right side of the uterine fundus. In patients with placenta accreta, the space in the posterior wall of the placenta has largely disappeared with partial disappearance of the muscular layer, and there are multiple anechoic areas of different sizes and irregular shapes in the placental parenchyma and basal layer. The patient can see the appearance of irregular placenta in the internal cervical os. In order to further analyze the application value of color Doppler ultrasonography and MRI alone and in combination in the diagnosis of prenatal placenta accreta, in this study, 89 patients with suspected placenta accreta were diagnosed as 57 by the “gold standard” of clinical and pathological diagnosis. Among them, 42 patients were diagnosed as positive by ultrasound, and the consistency between the two diagnostic methods of ultrasound and the “gold standard” was acceptable. Among the 57 confirmed patients, 36 were positive by MRI, and the consistency between MRI and the “gold standard” diagnostic methods was general. Among the 57 confirmed patients, 44 patients were positive by the combined examination, and the two diagnostic methods of the combined diagnosis and the “gold standard” were in good agreement [22]. The ROC curve analysis in this study showed that the sensitivity and specificity of Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of placenta accreta were 86.49% and 82.16%, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of MRI in the diagnosis of placenta accreta were 79.43% and 75.43%. The sensitivity of placenta accreta was 91.75%, and the specificity was 89.26%. It can follow color Doppler ultrasound, MRI diagnosis, color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging examination, the cost consistency, sensitivity, specificity, and good estimates of this examination can be compared with submitted surgical results. Price, negative bid, and Youden index were chosen as the basis for measuring the value of our tests. The surgical results confirmed that the diagnosis of patients with different placental pathways was as follows: color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging>magnetic resonance imaging>color Doppler ultrasound, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), our diagnosis. There were significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, positive estimation rate, negative estimation rate, and Youden index between color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging>magnetic resonance imaging>color Doppler ultrasound (P < 0.05). Based on this, it can be seen that in the diagnosis of placenta accreta, color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging is more effective, suggesting that color Doppler ultrasound and MRI have better value in the diagnosis of placenta accreta, which is helpful for physician. Early diagnosis and taking corresponding measures are extremely important for the treatment of placenta accreta.

5. Conclusion

This article discusses the application of color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging in placenta accreta. A feature of this method is the combination of color Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, which can improve the sensitivity and specificity of prenatal diagnosis and reduce the cost of misdiagnosis and non-diagnosis. Through the experimental analysis, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis of penetrating placenta implantation were higher than those of the single method. (2) Combined diagnosis and gold standard have good consistency and high coincidence rate. The “gold standard” diagnostic method has a high coincidence rate. (3) Compared with sensitive, specific, good estimate, negative estimate, and Youden index, color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance imaging has the best effect. In the diagnosis of placenta accreta, since the placenta is attached to the posterior wall of the uterus, MRI scans are multifaceted and minimally invasive and can reveal information such as fresh and old bleeding. And it can reveal the information of fresh bleeding and old bleeding for the diagnosis personnel. The detection results are more in line with the actual characteristics. Color Doppler ultrasound has the advantages of simple operation, short diagnosis time, low cost, and patient cooperation, so it still has a high clinical status. Since the uterus is an important organ for women to conceive the next generation and also plays an important endocrine function in the body, it is the top priority to preserve the uterus as much as possible. In this case, the use of color Doppler ultrasound combined with magnetic resonance is promoted in the diagnosis work. Imaging can improve the sensitivity of the diagnosis of placenta accreta and make the diagnosis more accurate.