[Placenta accreta. Ten cases].

A retrospective analysis of 10 cases of placenta accreta observed from 1983 to 1993, all confirmed histologically, were reviewed at the Gynaecology-Obstetric B ward of the Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis. The incidence of this placental anomaly is 1 for 7,139 births. The condition is usually discovered due to excessive bleeding at delivery. In 10 cases, hysterectomy was required for haemostasis. There were 3 maternal deaths. The insertion of the placenta on a uterin scar is highly suggestive of placenta accreta. The increase in the incidence of this pathology over the last years is probably related to the increase in the number of cesarean sections. When observed, hysterectomy provides the best chances of survival.