Hidden muscle ring in the prostate mapped by advanced MRI
NCT ID NCT07694752
First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This observational study uses advanced MRI (DTI fiber tracking) to visualize the urethral internal sphincter ring—a muscle that helps control urine flow—and see how it relates to prostate shape. Researchers will scan men with various prostate conditions, including benign enlargement and prostate cancer, as well as younger men. The goal is to better understand how this muscle changes with age and prostate growth, which could one day help surgeons protect continence during prostate surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could improve surgical techniques for preserving urinary continence during prostate procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, observational imaging study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to direct clinical changes or apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population will consist of male participants undergoing clinically indicated pelvic, seminal vesicle, or prostate-related MRI-DTI examinations at the study center. The cross-sectional imaging cohort will include a broad spectrum of male participants, including younger men undergoing MRI for suspected cryptorchidism or suspected seminal vesiculitis, as well as middle-aged and older men with benign prostatic enlargement or prostate base morphological changes. This cohort will be used to evaluate the relationship between prostate base morphology and urethral internal sphincter ring morphology. A separate paired follow-up cohort will include patients with prostate cancer who are scheduled to receive androgen deprivation therapy. These participants will undergo MRI-DTI before treatment and during follow-up after ADT to assess whether changes in prostate volume and prostate base morphology are accompanied by corresponding changes in the urethral internal sphincter ring.
- Ages
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15 to 90 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male participants undergoing clinically indicated pelvic, seminal vesicle, or prostate-related MRI-DTI examination. 2. Participants with adequate T2-weighted MRI and DTI data for post-processing and quantitative assessment of the bladder neck, prostate base, and proximal urethral region. 3. Participants in the cross-sectional imaging cohort may include men undergoing MRI for suspected cryptorchidism, suspected seminal vesiculitis, benign prostatic enlargement, or other clinically indicated pelvic or prostate-related evaluations. 4. Participants in the ADT paired follow-up cohort must have prostate cancer and be scheduled to receive androgen deprivation therapy, with MRI-DTI planned before treatment and during follow-up after ADT. 5. Participants must be able to comply with MRI examination procedures. 6. Written informed consent will be obtained when required by the approved study protocol. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Contraindications to MRI, including but not limited to incompatible metallic implants, severe claustrophobia, or other conditions preventing MRI examination. 2. Known neurogenic bladder dysfunction, including spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, or other neurological disorders that may significantly affect lower urinary tract function. 3. History of pelvic radiotherapy. 4. History of urethral reconstruction, sphincter surgery, or other prior surgery that substantially alters the bladder neck, proximal urethra, or prostate base anatomy. 5. Severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction, cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorder, or other conditions preventing cooperation with MRI examination or study procedures. 6. Use of medications or treatments within the previous 3 months that may substantially affect neuromuscular function of the lower urinary tract, as judged by the investigators. 7. Poor image quality or failed post-processing that prevents reliable visualization or measurement of the urethral internal sphincter ring.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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JiangsuTaizhouPH
RECRUITINGTaizhou, Jiangsu, China
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