Normal placentation
Ultrasound imaging: Placental lakes
- Placental lakes are echolucent areas seen often in the centre of a cotyledon or between cotyledons
- The lakes may be quite large and are a common finding in normal pregnancies from the end of the first trimester
- Placental lakes arise due to a larger than average spiral vessel supplying an increased blood flow to the cotyledon
- The impact on the cotyledon is limited as usually only a single spiral artery is involved
The shape and number of lakes depend on:
- Gestational age
- Location of the placenta
- Pressure by the ultrasound probe

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