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Can an ultrasound dye replace radiation scans for kidney scarring?

NCT ID NCT03653702

Diagnosis Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 22, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using Lumason can detect kidney scarring as accurately as the standard DMSA scan, but without radiation. Children and young adults scheduled for a DMSA scan will receive an additional CEUS exam. If CEUS proves reliable, it could offer a safer, less expensive alternative for diagnosing kidney scarring.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
an ultrasound contrast agent called Lumason (sulfur hexafluoride lipid microspheres)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could offer a radiation-free, safer way to detect kidney scarring, potentially replacing DMSA scans and avoiding sedation and allergic reactions.
What could go wrong
This is an early-phase trial with only 70 participants. The contrast-enhanced ultrasound may not be as accurate as the standard DMSA scan, and results may not 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.

Phase

Phase 1

The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.

Participants

About 70 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Jul 2027

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jul 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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.

Ages

6 months to 35 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * patients older than or equal to 6 months and less than or equal to 35 years old and scheduled for Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) DMSA scan to evaluate renal function and/or renal scarring Exclusion Criteria: * patients with significant congenital renal anatomical abnormalities including horseshoe kidney, kidney malrotation, and multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK). Patients with severe cardio-pulmonary diseases will also be excluded.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

vesicoureteral reflux

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Vesico-ureteral reflux

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • Boston Children's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States