Prediction of Placenta Previa from Serial Reading of Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Late in the First Half of Pregnancy.

Background: Abnormally sited placenta is considered a major life-threatening condition for pregnant woman, and many debate about the way of early diagnosis and management to decrease the mortality and morbidity.

Aim of study: To evaluate the role of beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (B-HCG) level in the first half of pregnancy as a marker for prediction of placenta previa.

Study design: This is a prospective study done in Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital from first of January 2020 till first of January 2021.

Material and methods: A total of 57 patients have been recruited. For all participated women in this study were sampled between 14 and 18 weeks of gestational age for serum human chorionic gonadotropins measured in international units. Patients who developed placenta previa were diagnosed on the basis of development of vaginal bleeding either late in the second trimester or early in the second trimester. After developing vaginal bleeding, all patients were sent for routine ultrasound scan to confirm the presence of placenta previa.

Result: After recruiting a total of 57 women among which 14 patients were found to have placenta previa, ANOVA test shows a statistically significant difference between women with normal placenta and women with placenta previa P value < 0.001. Receiver operator characteristics curve was constructed to evaluate the optimum cutoff value for serum HCG between normal women and women with placenta previa sampled at 14-18 weeks of gestation. The optimum cutoff value is mean serum HCG > 105,380 IU in 14 weeks of gestation, and the sensitivity and specificity were calculated as 100% and 72.2%, respectively.

Conclusion: B-HCG level in first half of pregnancy can be used as a predictor marker for placenta previa.