EP17.19: Predictive value of the risk of premature delivery by ultrasonographic measurement of cervical length.

This article, published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, evaluates the effectiveness of measuring the length of the cervical canal by ultrasound in predicting spontaneous preterm delivery. The study was conducted retrospectively on women hospitalized for preterm labor between 28 and 34 weeks of gestational age. The results showed that cervical length measurements had a sensitivity of 38% and 88%, a specificity of 50% and 15%, a positive predictive value of 30% and 42%, and a negative predictive value of 70% and 90% for delivery before 34 weeks. The authors conclude that cervical length is not predictive of the risk of preterm delivery in symptomatic pregnancies, but it can be useful in reassuring patients and avoiding prolonged hospitalizations. [Extracted from the article]