Assessment of Uterocervical Angle Width as a Predictive Factor of Preterm Birth: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Background. Uterocervical angle (UCA) has been recently proposed as a potential marker that could accurately predict preterm birth (PTB). The purpose of the present systematic review is to accumulate current evidence and provide directions for future research. Materials and Methods. We used the Medline (1966–2018), Scopus (2004–2018), Clinicaltrials.gov (2008–2018), EMBASE (1980-2018), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials CENTRAL (1999-2018), and Google Scholar (2004-2018) databases in our search. Results. Eleven studies were finally included in the present systematic review that evaluated data from 3,018 women. The significant heterogeneity in terms of outcome reporting and outcome reporting measures (use of optimal cut-off values) precluded meta-analysis. However, existing data support that second trimester UCA measurement might be used as a predictive factor of PTB

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