Contrast ultrasound imaging of uterine spiral arteries after delivery
Official title: PlaCEUS: Feasibility Study of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound to Visualize Maternal Uterine Spiral Arteries Postpartum.
Run by Maxima Medical Center · NCT07422181 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will try using contrast-enhanced ultrasound after delivery to visualize small uterine spiral arteries and measure uterine artery blood flow in people with a single pregnancy at term who deliver at Máxima Medical Center.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Women only |
| Enrollment | 5 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Maxima Medical Center Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Veldhoven) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 1, 2026 |
| Study ends | July 1, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | February 19, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07422181 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are pregnant people aged 18 or older with a singleton term pregnancy (≥37 weeks) who plan to deliver at Máxima Medical Center and have intravenous access at delivery.
✕Probably not a fit
People with multiple gestation, known allergy to the contrast agent, current breastfeeding plans, pre-eclampsia requiring medication, fetal growth restriction <3rd percentile, BMI >40 kg/m2, no IV access at delivery, or those experiencing a medical emergency around delivery are unlikely to benefit or are excluded.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This feasibility study uses contrast-enhanced ultrasound (SonoVue microbubbles) performed in the immediate postpartum period to attempt direct visualization of persistent maternal spiral arteries, combined with Doppler waveform analysis of the uterine arteries. Doppler measurements will be obtained before delivery, during labor, and after birth to track uterine artery hemodynamics over time. Because ultrasound contrast agents are not approved for use during pregnancy, imaging is limited to the immediate postpartum setting when intravenous access is available. The goal is to determine whether CEUS can reveal structural features of spiral arteries that conventional Doppler cannot, as a first step toward improving understanding of uteroplacental vascular remodeling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a new way to see and study spiral artery remodeling, which may eventually improve diagnosis and understanding of conditions like pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
How similar studies have gone: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound has been used to image small-vessel perfusion in other organs, but using CEUS postpartum to visualize uterine spiral arteries is novel and has only limited prior data.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant patient at a minimum age of 18 years * Singleton pregnancy at term (≥37 weeks gestation) * Planning to deliver at the Máxima Medical Centre * Able to provide informed consent * Intravenous access present at the time of delivery Exclusion Criteria: * Multiple gestation pregnancy * Contra-indications to CEUS, e.g. known allergy for constituents of SonoVue™ * Planning on breastfeeding * Medical emergency during or after delivery, which makes CEUS impossible or undesirable * No intravenous access present at the time of delivery * Body Mass Index \>40 kg/m2. * Pre-eclampsia requiring medication * Foetal growth restriction \< p3
Where it's running
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Máxima Medical center
Veldhoven, Netherlands Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Eveline Dekker, Drs
- Email: e.dekker@mmc.nl
- Phone: +3140 888 83 80
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.