Accuracy of ultrasound scanning in the diagnosis of hydatidiform moles
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis of hydatidiform moles
IRAS ID
287351
Contact name
Jackie Ross
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College Hospital NHS foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 5 days
Research summary
Molar pregnancy is a type of miscarriage which is associated with a small risk of cancer developing in the placental tissue. There have been research studies that describe some of the features of molar pregnancy that can be seen on transvaginal ultrasound, but most studies have looked back at the scan pictures once the diagnosis has been made by examining placental tissue under the microscope (histology). We would like to test which ultrasound features are the best at predicting molar pregnancy before the diagnosis is made or excluded by histology. This study will take place across 2 hospital sites, Kings College London and University College London over a 12 month period. The study does not involve any extra scans or a more detailed scan than we usually do in the Early Pregnancy Unit, but it involves a more thorough documentation of the scan findings specifically looking for evidence of molar pregnancy and it also involves follow up to be sure that we do not miss any cases. The study involves us keeping this documentation for the purpose of the research study as well as part of the clinical records. In addition to routine clinical care, we will also perform an additional blood test to look at blood levels of the pregnancy hormone beta hCG to see if this helps with the diagnosis.
The treatment of the miscarriage will be according to routine clinical practice. We will then be able to compare the accuracy of ultrasound with the histological diagnosis of either molar or non-molar miscarriage.
We hope that this study will allow us to determine the best ultrasound features to use for diagnosing molar pregnancies and distinguishing them from non-molar miscarriages in early pregnancy units.REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/NE/0122
Date of REC Opinion
10 Aug 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion