Infarcts of the placenta: A study of seven hundred consecutive placentas

Abstract

So-called infarcts of the placenta are of four kinds, but are all composed largely of degenerated villi and elements from the maternal blood. In three types the formation resembles intravascular thrombosis and depends upon stasis of the maternal blood flow in the intervillous placental space, and the existence of areas denuded in some way of their anticoagulative syncytial epithelium. The fourth kind probably represents a simultaneous involvement of all the branches of a stem villus due to disturbance in the fetal-placental circulation.In 700 carefully examined placentas, which were delivered consecutively, there were infarcts of some kind in 67.7 per cent, there being no relationship of occurrence to age or number of pregnancies. All types were more frequent in placentas associated with toxemia of pregnancy, as was also extensive infarction. The presence of infarcts had little or no influence on the welfare of the child.