[Syncytial sprouts and intervillous bridges in human placenta (author's transl)].

In general syncytial sprouts and intervillous bridges are artifacts. Complete series of histological sections reveal that sprouts and bridges are caused by tangential sections through the syncytiotrophoblast. These observations are supported by scanning electron microscopy, graphical reconstructions and model experiments. However, it cannot be decided unequivocally whether short syncytial sprouts are artifacts or true differentiations of the syncytiotrophoblast.