Placental pathology in pre-eclampsia eclampsia syndrome.

Quantitative analysis of placental pathology was carried out on 20 placentae from various grades of pre-eclampsia eclampsia syndrome and 20 placentae from control group. Placental weights were lower in the study group. The gross abnormalities noted were the placental infarcts, retroplacental haematoma and calcification. The striking villous lesions observed in the study group were cytotrophoblastic cell proliferation, thickening of villous basement membrane and paucity of vasculosyncytial membrane and these findings correlated well with the severity of maternal disease. These vascular villous lesions were considered secondary to uteroplacental ischaemia.