Histological Evaluation of Products of Conception, Who Benefits from It?

Abstract

Background: Histopathological evaluation of the first trimester pregnancy loss has always been controversial. Although it is recommended, it is not a part of guidelines.

Methods: Six hundred eighty-six samples in a referral infertility clinic were evaluated microscopically and categorized. Two hundred ninety-five cases were evaluated by genetic methods (Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification).

Results: From 569 samples with chorionic villi, 361 cases had history of three or more abortions. 18.3% of this group showed chronic intervillous of unknown etiology (CIUE) and 8.3% revealed intervilli fibrin deposition, both pathologies with a high risk of recurrence. History of a live child was significantly higher in CIUE group. 29% of genetically evaluated cases had a chromosomal abnormality.

Conclusion: Histological evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss could illuminate the cause of abortion in relatively acceptable percentage of cases, especially in mothers with higher number of previous abortion, mothers with a history of live child and in referral centers.

Keywords:

• General genetics
• placental pathology
• recurrent pregnancy loss

Acknowledgment

We would like to thank Ms. Fatemeh AliAkbari for her assistance in data gathering. And also, the corresponding author wants to convey her gratitude to Dr. Susan Arbuckle, in The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia, for teaching her the principles of pediatric and ­perinatal pathology.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was completely funded by Avicenna Research Institute.