Placenta

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The placenta feeds the developing baby, breathes for it and disposes of its waste.

The organ is one that seems to be left behind; at least one review suggests it isn't done so well by general pathologists.[1]

Clinical

Examination of the placenta

  • Most placentas are not examined by a pathologist.

Indications for exam by pathology

Some indications for exam by a pathologist:

  • Abnormalities in the:
    1. Fetus:
      • Bad fetal outcome.
      • Suspected or known congenital abnormalities or chromosomal abnormalities.
      • IUGR.
    2. Mother:
      • Infection/suspected infection.
      • Pre-term labour.
      • Maternal disease (e.g. SLE, coagulopathy).
      • Complicated pregnancy (preclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes).
    3. Placenta:
      • Unusual gross characteristics.[2]

A more detailed list is given by Hargitai et al.[3] and Chang.[4]

Most common

Most common reasons for submitting a placenta to pathology:[5]

  1. Prematurity.
  2. PROM / possible chorioamnionitis.
  3. Multiple gestation.

Bleeding in late pregnancy

DDx of bleeding in late pregnancy:

Clinical screening tests

  • PAPP-A - low values seen in aneuploidy.[6]

Abbreviations

  • C/S = Caesarean section.
  • LSCS = lower segment C-section.
  • FTP = failure to progress.
  • PROM = premature rupture of membranes.
  • PPROM = preterm premature ruptures of membranes.
  • IUGR = intrauterine growth restriction.
  • IOL = induction of labour.

Normal histology

Villi

This is dealt with in a separate article that also covers the types of trophoblast (cytotrophoblast, syncytiotrophoblast, intermediate trophoblast).

Cord

Omphalomesenteric duct remnant

  • AKA vitelline duct.
  • Benign embryologic remnant.

Features:

  • Duct with benign looking cuboidal epithelium.

Allantoic duct remnant

  • Benign embryologic remnant.

Features:

  • Duct with benign looking flat epithelium.

Vitelline artery remnant

Features:

  • Small artery in the cord.

Membranes

Fetus to mother:

  • Amnion - thin layer: one cell layer, basement membrane, connective tissue.
  • Cleft - artifactual - empty space.
  • Chorion - vascular.
  • Decidua (maternal tissue) - may contain obsolete chorionic villi; place to look for hypertensive changes.

Amnion

General:

  • Next to fetus, surrounds amniotic fluid, avascular.

Characteristics:

  • Characterized by a single layer of cells.[7]
    • Cuboidal/squamoid shape.
    • Eosinophilic cytoplasm.
    • Central nucleus.
  • Squamous metaplasia may be seen at cord insertion.
  • Basement membrane.
  • 'Compact layer'.[7]
  • 'Fibroblastic layer'.[7]

Chorion

General:

  • Surrounds amnion.

Characteristics:

  • Layers:[8]
    • 'Reticular layer' - cellular (inner aspect).
    • 'Pseudo-basemement membrane'.
    • 'Outer trophoblastic layer'.
  • Has blood vessels.
  • Opposed to "trophoblastic X cells" on side opposite of amnion.[7]
    • Beneath of the "trophoblastic X cells" is decidua (mnemonic NEW = nucleus central, eosinophilic, well-defined cell border), which is maternal tissue.

Note:

  • Fibrin deposition may be found deep to the chorion - known as subchorionic fibrin deposition.
    • Gross: subchorionic, white/yellow, laminated, classically has a triangular-shape with the base of triangle parallel to fetal aspect of disc.
      • Arises due to localized stasis of the inter-villous maternal blood.
    • Focal small deposits are considered to be a normal finding - seen in ~15% of cases.[9][10]

Image:

Common terms

  • Chorionic plate - fetal aspect of placenta.
  • Basal plate - maternal aspect of placenta.
    • Has extravillous trophoblast.
    • Place to look for maternal vessels.

Grossing

This is often very quick. The gross is quite important, as some things cannot be diagnosed microscopically.

General

  • Dimensions:
    • Disc.
    • Length of cord, diameter of cord.
    • Accessory lobes - dimensions.
      • Two lobes of equal size + cord arises in between = bilobate placenta.
  • Mass (weight).
    • Should be done 'trimmed' (cord cut-off, membrane cut-off).
    • Should be done when placenta is "fresh", i.e. not fixed -- as mass tables are based on fresh state.
  • Umbilical cord
    • Attachment.
      • Location: central, eccentric, marginal.
        • Marginal attachment assoc. with hypertension[11]
      • Membranous or velamentous (veil-like) insertion.
        • Vessels separate/branch prior to reaching placental disc.
      • Furcate insertion - blood vessels separate before reaching placenta disc/not surrounded by Wharton's jelly - vessels more exposed to trauma (risk for vasa previa).
    • Knots (false vs. true).
      • False knots are nothing to worry about -- look like a knot but aren't really one.
    • Twisting/coiling - 1-3 coils/10 cm is normal.
    • Number of vessels.
      • Normal: 2 arteries, 1 vein.
  • Membranes - shiny & translucent - normal (green, opaque/dull - chorioamnionitis).
    • Attachment (insertion): marginal (normal), circummarginate (inside edge), circumvallate (folding on self).
    • Site of rupture - if obvious; low point of rupture suggests low-lying placenta.
  • Placental disc.
    • Fetal surface - normal is shinny.
      • Dull in chorioamnionitis.
    • Maternal surface
      • Are the cotyledons intact?
      • Adherent clot?
    • Parenchyma - after sectioning:
      • White vs. red nodules.

Notes:

Sections

  1. Cord two sections.
  2. Membranes (rolled), two rolls or more.[12]
  3. Cord at insertion + disc.
  4. Placenta - full thickness (maternal and fetal surface).
    • Sections should not be taken at the margin of the disc.

Placental membranes

Appearance:[13]

Placental mass

It is considered routine to obtain a mass for the placenta. This is usually done when the placenta is fresh and with the membranes and cord trimmed, as most tables of placental mass were created with these parameters.

Placental mass by gestational age:[15]

Gest. Age/Percentile 25% 50% 75%
32 weeks 275 g 318 g 377 g
36 weeks 369 g 440 g 508 g
40 weeks 440 g 501 g 572 g

Linear regression - placental mass-gestational age

Based on the table in the AFIP book[16] I generated the following regression lines:

50% 10% 90%
slope (g/week) 21.58088235 19.70588235 25.40196078
y-intercept (g) -357.4558824 -397.2352941 -366.7254902
Pearson (r) 0.988670724 0.988268672 0.982206408

placental mass = slope x gestational age + intercept

What to remember...

Extrapolated from the linear regression (see above):

  • 50% at term = 500 grams.
  • 50% at 26 weeks = 200 grams.
  • The change in mass/week is approximately linear and equal to 300 grams / 14 weeks ~ 20 grams/week.
  • The spread in mass between 10% and 90%, crudely estimated, is 200 grams (for GA=26-40).

Notes:

  • Is it required?
    • Sebire and Fox have advocated abandoning the practise of obtaining a placental mass, due to the large number of uncontrolled variables inherent in these measures. Instead, they have advocated using mushy descriptors such as "small", "average" and "large", which require experience in examining the organ.[17]
      • In the context of quality, a measure (even if somewhat flawed), is almost certainly more reproducible than arbitrary descriptors which require experience and a continuing case volume to calibrate.

Placentomegaly

  • AKA large placenta.

Associations:[18]

Lame causes of a heavy placenta:

  • Dates wrong - error in determining the estimated date of confinement.
  • Adherent blood clot.

Comment:

  • Most of causes seem to have one thing in common:
    • There is a decreased oxygen delivery to the fetus.

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CESAERIAN SECTION:
- LARGE PLACENTA (819 GRAMS -- TRIMMED, POST-FIXATION WEIGHT).
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI.

Placental growth restriction

  • AKA placenta small for gestational age.
  • Small placenta redirects here.

Associations:

  • Maternal vascular disease, e.g. hypertension.
  • Fetal malformations.

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- PLACENTA SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE (160 GRAMS -- TRIMMED, POST-FIXATION WEIGHT).
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITH:
-- OLD CENTRAL TRANSMURAL INFARCT (1.7 CM MAXIMAL DIMENSION).

COMMENT:
The 10th percentile placental mass (pre-fixation) for 34 weeks and 2 days is approximately 390 grams.

Overview of placental pathology

Approach

The pathology of the placenta is diverse and is not easy to group.

It terms of remembering things. It is probably easiest to take a combined anatomical, etiologic and morphologic approach.

Anatomical basis:

  • Cord.
  • Membranes.
  • Disc.

Etiologic:

  • Congential.
  • Infectious.
  • Neoplastic.
  • Endocrine.
  • Trauma.
  • Vascular.
  • Degenerative.
  • Autoimmune.
  • Toxic.
  • Idiopathic.

Compartmental:

  • Vasculature.
  • Membranes.
  • Parenchyma:
    • Maternal part (decidua).
    • Fetal part (villi, cord).

Common entities/diagnoses

Sign out

What should be commented on...

  • Placenta:
    • Maturity of villi (2nd or 3rd trimester).
    • Infarction?
      • Subchorionic less important than maternal aspect.
      • Peripheral aspect of placental disc less important than central region of disc.
    • Blood vessels.
      • Maternal.
      • Fetal.
  • Membranes.
  • Cord:
    • 3 vessel?
    • Vasculitis/inflammation?

Mnemonic: chorio, cord, vessels, villi (maturity, infarction).

Normal placenta

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

C-section

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CAESAREAN SECTION:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

Cord pathology

Two vessel umbilical cord

  • AKA two vessel cord.
  • AKA single umbilical artery.

Associations

  • Associated with congenital abnormalities, esp. cardiac - key point.[21]
    • Thought to be an acquired defect (as prevalence is lower early in gestation).
  • May be seen in association of other cord abnormalities (e.g. marginal insertion, velamentous insertion).
  • In apparently well (liveborn) infants it is associated with (occult) renal abnormalities, specifically vesico-ureteric reflux; there is no evidence for other abnormalities.[22]
  • Associated with maternal diabetes.[23]

Image

www:

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CAESAREAN SECTION:
- TWO VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD, NEGATIVE FOR INFLAMMATION.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITHOUT APPARENT PATHOLOGY.

With meconium

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CAESAREAN SECTION:
- TWO VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD, NEGATIVE FOR INFLAMMATION.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITH FOCAL PIGMENTED CELLS CONSISTENT WITH MECONIUM,
  NEGATIVE FOR APPARENT CHORIOAMNIONITIS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITHOUT APPARENT PATHOLOGY.

Insertion

Marginal insertion

Definition:

  • The umbilical cord is attached to the placental disc at its margin.

Prevalence:

  • Approximately 12% of placentas.[21]

Relevance:

  • None according to WMSP.[21]
    • In theory, the cord, dependent on its relation to the internal os, is at greater risk of injury (leading to vasa previa) and compression (fetal hypoxia). A retrospective study found cord position in relation to the internal os is predictive for vasa previa.[25]

Velamentous insertion

Definition:

  • The umbilical cord inserts into the fetal membranes.[21]
    • The vessels are not protected by Wharton's jelly.
      • Wharton's jelly = the connective tissue surrounding the vessels in the cord.

Details:[21]

  • 3/4 of the time the vessel also branch; in the remaining 1/4 the vessels stay together.

Relevance:

  • Increased risk of vasa previa.[25]

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORDS AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITH A VELAMENTOUS INSERTION, OTHERWISE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

Umbilical knot

  • AKA umbilical cord knot.
  • AKA cord knot.
  • AKA true knot.

General

Gross

Work-up:[27]

  • Diameter measures and colour on both sides of the knot.
  • Knot should be untied to assess for deformation of Wharton's jelly.
  • Sections from both sides of the knot - to look for thrombi.

Note:

  • False knots (large diameter - focally) are common - they cannot be untied.

Microscopic

Features:

  • +/-Thrombi.
    • Fibrin deposition.
  • +/-Lines of Zahn.

Images:

Coiling

  • Hypo- and hypercoiling are both considered problematic.[21]
    • Normal: 1-3 coils/10 cm.[28]
  • Associated with cord stricture, which is usu. at the fetal end of the cord.[29]

Notes:

  • There is little uniformity in how coiling is assessed in the medical literature - though 10% and 90% are considered the cut-points for normal.[30]
    • What are the 10% and 90% cut-points? They are not given in WMSP. UT access to a journal article[31] that might have it is screwed-up.

Cord hematoma

Features:[29]

  • Rare ~ 1/5500.
  • Mortality ~50% is severe.

Image: Hematoma (flylib.com).[32]

Membranes

Amnion nodosum

General

  • Associated with (long-standing) oligohydramnios.[33]
  • Should be separated from squamous metaplasia of amnion.

Gross

Features:[34]

  • Yellow nodules ~ 1-5 mm.
    • Some think they are white.[35]

DDx:

Images:

Microscopic

Features:[34]

  • Stratified squamous epithelium - non-keratinizing or minimal keratin.
  • Amorphous acidophilic (pink) debris.

Note:

  • Normal amnion = simple epithelium.

Images:

Placental meconium

Squamous metaplasia of the amnion

General

  • Benign common finding thought to be of no clinical significance.[36]
  • Needs to be separated from amnion nodosum - important.[38]

Gross

Features:[34]

  • White (or yellow) plaques - irregular outline.

DDx:

Images:

Microscopic

Features:[34]

  • Dense, paucicellular (pink) compact keratin - key feature.

Image:

Circumvallate placenta

  • AKA circumvallate insertion of the membranes.

General

Note:

  • Membranes usually attach to the edge of the placenta.

Gross

  • Fetal membranes attach to the fetal surface of the placenta away from the margin of the placental disc.

Classification:

  • Partial - not circumferential.
  • Complete.

DDx:

Images:

Twin placentas

These are often submitted... even if they are normal. In these specimens, usually, the chorion is the key.

It covers:

  • Monozygotic vs. dizygotic twins.
  • Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

Placental disc

Villous edema

General

  • Non-specific finding.
  • Reported in associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia for the stem villi.[41]

Microscopic

Features:

  • "Swiss chesse-like" appearance / bubbly appearance.
  • Usually patchy and focal.

Note:

  • Cistern formation is reported in the stem villi in association with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.[41]

DDx:

Image:

Placental villous immaturity

Villous hypoplasia

  • AKA terminal villus deficiency.[43]

Diseases of the placental attachment

Placenta creta

  • What?
    • Trophoblastic tissue deeper than it should be.
  • Clinical?
    • Postpartum hemorrhage leading to a hysterectomy.[44]
  • Pathogenesis?
    • It is suspected that it arises as there is defect in the endometrium/myometrium -- not deep trophoblastic invasion.[44]
    • Risk factors:[45]
      • Placenta previa.
      • Previous caesarian section.

Note:

  • Normal: trophoblastic tissue attaches to the decidua.[46]
  • Retained placentas have less multinucleated trophoblastic giant cells.[47]

Placenta accreta

  • Trophoblastic tissue (directly) adherent to the myometrium.[46]

Image:

Placenta increta

  • Trophoblastic tissue extends into the myometrium.

Placenta percreta

  • Trophoblastic tissue penetrates through the myometrium.

Placental abruption

General

Classic clinical manifestations:[49]

  • Vaginal bleeding (~70%).
  • Abdominal pain (~50%).
  • Fetal heart rate abnormalities (~70%).

Sign-out:

  • Pathologists should sign-out this as "focal adherent retroplacental hematoma".
    • The pathologic findings may be due to abruption or manual removal of the placenta.

Gross

Features:[50]

  • Large adherent blood clot.
  • Disc depression on maternal side.

Notes:

  • Loosely attached clot less convincing.
  • Central haemorrhage is the most worrisome.

Microscopic

Features:

  1. Decidual hemorrhage.
    • Blood in the decidua.
  2. Intravillous hemorrhage, AKA villous stromal hemorrhage.
    • "Bags of blood" - blood outside of vessels in the villi.
      • Should not be confused with congested villi.

Notes:

  • There are no definitive microscopic findings for placental abruption.
  • Intravillous hemorrhage is non-specific - may arise in the following: early placental infarct, cord compression, abdominal trauma.

Sign out

Usual nonspecific findings

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI, TWO SMALL PLACENTAL INFARCTS
  (0.8 CM AND 0.5 CM IN MAXIMAL DIMENSION) AND FOCAL PROMINENCE OF SYNCYTIAL KNOTS.

COMMENT:
There is no decidual hemorrhage or intravillous hemorrhage. The prominent syncytial knots
are a nonspecific finding suggestive of (focal) ischemia.

Note:

  • The above is not diagnostic nor does it exclude the diagnosis of abruption.

Inflammatory pathologies

Overview of infections

General:[51]

Types

By site:[51]

  • Fetal membranes: chorioamnionitis, membranitis.[52]
  • Umbilical cord: funisitis.
  • Placenta: placentitis, villitis.

Membranitis

Chorionitis redirects here.

General

Microscopic

Features:

  • PMNs in the decidua.
  • +/-PMNs in subamniotic tissue.
  • +/-Necrosis in decidua or chorion/subamniotic tissue.

Note:

DDx:

Grading membranitis

Sternberg:[52]

  1. PMNs - decidua only.
  2. PMNs - in subamniotic tissue.
  3. 1 or 2 + necrosis in decidua or chorion/subamniotic tissue.

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CESAERIAN SECTION:
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITH CHORIONITIS.
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITH VASCULITIS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI.

Chorioamnionitis

Umbilical cord vasculitis

Funisitis

General

Microscopic

Features:

  • Neutrophils in the vessels of the umbilical cord and Wharton's jelly.

Note:

  • Wharton's jelly = connective tissue of the umbilical cord.

DDx:

Grading funisitis

Funisitis:[52]

  1. Focal inflammation.
  2. Diffuse inflammation.
  3. Necrosis - in umbilical vessels or Wharton jelly.

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- CHORIOAMNIONITIS.
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITH FUNISITIS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI.
- TWO THROMBI OF THE PLACENTAL DISC (LARGEST 0.9 CM - MAXIMAL DIMENSION).

Acute villitis

General

Microscopic

Features:

  • Neutrophils in the villous stroma - key feature.
  • +/-Features suggestive a particular infective etiology.
    • Cytoplasmic inclusion +/-owl's eye nucleus (CMV).

Images

www:

Villitis of unknown etiology

Chronic intervillitis

General

  • Rare.
  • Massive chronic intervillitis - associated IUGR, spontaneous abortion, perinatal fetal death.[55]
  • Recurs.

Microscopic

Features:[54][55]

  • Intervillous inflammatory cells:
    • Lymphocytes.
    • Histiocytes.
  • Fibrinoid deposition.

Images

Chronic deciduitis

  • AKA plasma cell deciduitis.

Placental infarction

True infarcts

Perivillous fibrin deposition

  • Abbreviation PFD.

General

  • Thought to be an immunologic problem - resulting in platelet activation and fibrin deposition.[56]
  • May be associated with diabetes mellitus.[57]

Gross

  • Pale (white).
  • Firm.
  • White fibrous sepatae.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Acellular eosinophilic material around formed villi.
  • Obliteration of intervillous space.
    • Intervillous distance increased vis-a-vis normal - key feature.

Notes:

  • Nuclei of villi are usually preserved.
  • Villi may have secondary infarction, i.e. there may be nuclear destruction (karyolysis, karyorrhexis, pyknosis).

DDx:

Images:

Sign out

Thrombi

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI AND THREE LARGE INTERVILLOUS 
THROMBI (BLOCKS A7-A9).

Maternal floor infarction

  • Abbreviated MFI.
  • Formally placental maternal floor infarction.
  • AKA massive perivillous fibrin deposition.[58]

General

  • Not a true infact.
    • It is really fibrin deposition.[59]

Associations:

Gross

Features:[63]

  • +/-Thickened placenta.
  • Maternal aspect of placental disc irregular or lobulated appearance.
  • +/-Yellowish discolourization.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Extensive fibrin deposition around villi on maternal aspect - see: Perivillous fibrin deposition.
    • Described as having a "net-like" pattern.[63]
    • "Extensive" - either of the following:[61][64]
      1. Micro: one slide with >50% of villi involved.
        • Gross: full thickness involvement.
      2. Micro: maternal floor has at least 3 mm of fibrin on one slide.
        • Gross: maternal floor diffusely involved.

DDx:

Images:

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, BIRTH:
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- SMALL PLACENTAL DISC WITH MASSIVE PERIVILLOUS FIBRIN DEPOSITION, SEE COMMENT.

COMMENT:
Massive perivillous fibrin deposition (MPVFD) is associated with intrauterine 
growth restriction (IUGR). MPVFD is described in association with in 
anti-phospholipid antibody (APLA) syndrome, pregnancy-induced hypertension and 
congenital infections. Perivillous fibrin deposition may be seen in diabetes.

There is no apparent infection. Changes suggestive of decidual vasculopathy 
are not apparent. Changes suggestive of fetal thrombotic vasculopathy are 
not identified.

Fetal disease

Fetal thrombotic vasculopathy

  • Abbreviated FTV.
  • A large number of terms are used for this including:[65]
    • Fibrinous vasculosis.
    • Fibromuscular sclerosis.
    • Fetal artery stem thrombosis.
  • The multitude of terms reflects the confusion about this finding and that it has numerous etiologies.[65]

Hemorrhagic endovasculitis

  • Abbreviated HEV.

General

  • Associated with stillbirth.[66]

Microscopic

Features:[67]

  • Walls of the (fetal) placental blood vessels (in the villi) are disrupted.
  • +/-Intraluminal necrotic debris.
  • RBC fragmentation.

Maternal disease

Hypertensive changes

General

Associated pathologic changes:[68]

  • Placental infarcts.
  • Increased syncytial knots.
  • Hypovascularity of the villi.
  • Cytotrophoblastic proliferation.
  • Thickening of the trophoblastic basement membrane.

Microscopic

Features:[68]

  • Enlarged endothelial cells - fetal capillaries.
  • Atherosis of the spiral arteries - placental bed (maternal).

Notes:

  • One should look for the changes in the membrane roll, not the maternal surface.[69]

Images:

Hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy

Decidual vasculopathy redirects here.

General

Microscopic

Features:[60]

  • Mild or moderate:
    1. Perivascular inflammatory cells.
    2. +/-Vascular thrombosis.
    3. Smooth muscle hypertrophy.
    4. Endothelial hyperplasia.
      • Above two lead to narrowing of the decidual spiral arteries[70] -- key feature.
  • Severe:[60]
    1. Atherosis of maternal blood vessels.
      • Foamy macrophages within vascular wall.
    2. Fibrinoid necrosis of vessel wall (amorphous eosinophilic material vessel wall).
  • Suggestive:[71]
    • Decidual vasculitis - lymphocyte predominant without plasma cells.

Note:

  • Smooth muscle hypertrophy can also be understood as lack of physiological conversion of spiral arteries of the uterus.[72]

Images

www:

Sign out

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CESAREAN SECTION:
- DECIDUAL VASCULOPATHY.
- PLACENTA SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE (222 GRAMS).
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH EARLY THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI WITH:
-- MULTIPLE PLACENTAL INFARCTS.
-- PERIVILLOUS FIBRIN DEPOSITION.
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

COMMENT:
The 10th percentile placental mass (pre-fixation) for 32 weeks and 6 
days is approximately 247 grams.

Suggestive of decidual vasculopathy

PLACENTA, UMBILICAL CORD AND FETAL MEMBRANES, CESAREAN SECTION:
- CHANGES SUGGESTIVE OF DECIDUAL VASCULOPATHY (DECIDUAL VASCULITIS).
- PLACENTAL DISC WITH EARLY THIRD TRIMESTER VILLI AND A PLACENTAL INFARCT
  (2.5 CM IN MAXIMAL DIMENSION).
- THREE VESSEL UMBILICAL CORD WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.
- FETAL MEMBRANES WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS.

HELLP syndrome

General

  • Diagnosed clinically.
  • Pathologically not the same as severe preclampsia.[74]

Definition:

  • H = hemolysis.
  • EL = elevated liver enzymes.
  • LP = low platelets.

Microscopic

Features:[75]

  • Thrombotic microangiopathic vasculopathy.
    • In essence: severe hypertrophic decidual vasculopathy. (???)

Malaria

General

  • Uncommon in Canada.
  • May lead to fetal demise.

Microscopic

Feature:

  • RBCs with basophilic dots ~1-2 micrometres.

Image

Tumours

Chorangioma

Chorangiomatosis

General

Associated with:

Gross

  • Multiple tan nodules.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Multiple chorangiomas - the difference between chorangioma and chorangiomatosis is not well defined.[76]

Images:

Chorangiosis

Other

Fetus papyraceus

  • May be spelled foetus papyraceus.
  • AKA fetus compressus.

General

  • Remnant of a dead fetus usu. from a twin pregnancy.
    • No clinical consequence for mother and remaining fetus.

Clinical:[77]

  • Documented multiple gestation by imaging.
  • Elevated AFP.
  • May be a "fetal reduction" in the context of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Note:

  • "Papyraceus" = paper-like.

Gross

  • Pale yellow flattened disk or plaque with a pigmented macule[77] - on membranes or placental disc.

Microscopic

Features:

  • Fetal structures - such as:
    • Cartilage.
    • Bone.

Images:

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia

  • Abbreviated PMD.

Placental cysts and pseudocysts

Types:[79]

  • Amnionic epithelial inclusion cyst (amniotic cyst).
  • Epidermal inclusion cyst - lined by keratinized squamous epithelium.
  • Chorionic cyst (AKA chorionic pseudocyts).
  • Cell island cyst.

Other considerations:[80]

  • Hematoma.
  • Fibrin-lined pseudocyst.

General:[80]

  • Usually good outcome.
  • Large cysts (>4.5 cm) or multiple cysts (>3) are associated with IUGR.

Images:

See also

References

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Recommended reading

External links