Recurrent Villitis of Bacterial Etiology

Abstract

Recurrent placental villitis is an uncommon clinicopathologic entity associated with a very high perinatal mortality rate. While most cases are idiopathic, other cases may have a treatable infectious cause. Here, a mother with recurrent fetal losses, each showing chronic villitis associated with rod shaped bacilli as demonstrated by Steiner stain, is presented. The key feature separating this and other similar cases from idiopathic villitis is a pleomorphic inflammatory infiltrate including lymphocytes, macrophages, eosinophils, plasma cells, and neutrophils.

Key Words:

• chronic villitis
• placenta
• recurrent fetal loss
• villitis