{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:38:56Z","timestamp":1787027936382,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,26]],"date-time":"2025-08-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1756166400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Congenital heart disease (CHD), the most prevalent congenital abnormality, is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a component of a broad fetoplacental pathology. This systematic review summarizes recent imaging-based data linking CHD to quantifiable placental abnormalities. In CHD pregnancies, placenta studies consistently show patterns of altered vascularization, decreased volumetric growth, microstructural heterogeneity, and impaired placental oxygenation. We conducted a thorough literature search from January 2020 to May 2025 to identify studies on placenta function and structure in CHD-affected pregnancies. The included studies primarily utilized MRI and Doppler methods, as well as some modern modalities. Seven studies were included in this review. Placental imaging reveals consistent structural and functional abnormalities in pregnancies affected by congenital heart disease, indicating some possible contribution of the placenta in CHD pathophysiology. Placental imaging may improve outcomes in this susceptible group of pregnancies, improve risk assessment, and direct surveillance when incorporated into prenatal care for congenital heart disease. Future research should concentrate on lesion-specific analysis, longitudinal imaging, and placenta\u2013heart axis-targeting treatment therapies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics15172159","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,26]],"date-time":"2025-08-26T14:18:49Z","timestamp":1756217929000},"page":"2159","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Unmasking the Placenta\u2013Heart Axis: A Comprehensive Review of Placental Abnormalities in Congenital Heart Disease"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9296-3688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Angeliki","family":"Gerede","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Democritus University of Thrace, 691 00 Alexandroupolis, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilias","family":"Orgianelis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 691 00 Alexandroupolis, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sofoklis","family":"Stavros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University General Hospital \u201cATTIKON,\u201d Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 124 62 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7716-1521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anastasios","family":"Potiris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University General Hospital \u201cATTIKON,\u201d Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 124 62 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eirini","family":"Drakaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 28 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Tsimpoukis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University General Hospital \u201cATTIKON,\u201d Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 124 62 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2153-2818","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Panagiota","family":"Papasozomenou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Midwifery Department, Health Sciences School, International Hellenic University, 574 00 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8899-3040","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ekaterini","family":"Domali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alexandra Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 28 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nikolaos","family":"Nikolettos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Democritus University of Thrace, 691 00 Alexandroupolis, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5895-6887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christos","family":"Chatzakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4967-2505","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Makarios","family":"Eleftheriades","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital \u201cAretaieion\u201d, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 28 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Cromb, D., Slator, P.J., Hall, M., Price, A., Alexander, D.C., Counsell, S.J., and Hutter, J. 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