Key clinical point: Ultrasound evaluation performed following a standardized protocol is highly effective at detecting placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in pregnant women with persistent placenta previa under real-world conditions.
Main finding: Of 126 patients with placenta previa, PAS was detected in 11 patients, of which 10 were diagnosed prenatally by ultrasound, exhibiting a sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 98.3%, positive predictive value of 83.3%, and negative predictive value of 99.1%.
Study details: This was a retrospective real-world cohort study involving 126 pregnant women with persistent placenta previa who underwent standardized transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound to assess hypoechoic retroplacental zone loss or myometrial thinning <1 mm, lacunar images (flow >15 cm/second), thick and bulging placenta, uterine-bladder serous interface thinning/interruption, and placental/uterovesical hypervascularity; the presence of at least 1 was considered high-risk for PAS.
Disclosures: The authors disclosed receiving no financial support for the study and having no conflict of interests.
Source: Juan-Clar M et al. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2022 (Jan 11). Doi: 10.1159/000521738.